Decatur Democrat, Volume 50, Number 47, Decatur, Adams County, 24 January 1907 — Page 3

WAS BORN AT MISHAWAKA • fc - - Another Wonderful Hoosier in Whom Everyone Has Much Confidence. Among, Its other titles to distinction Indiana will be known as the state that produced the contractor who is to dig the Panama canal. William J. Oliver, who submitted the lowest bid for the construction of the canal and whose offer in all probability will be accepted by the isthmian canal commission, is a Hoesier. He was born Mishawaka, Ind., and spent his early years there and at South Bend. / He began to earn his own living when he was 16 years old as a timekeeper for the Cotton Belt railway. He drifted to Kansas, where he started in business in a small way as a contractor. During the last four years his headquarters have been at Knoxville, Tenn. He is about 40 years old and a veritable bundle of nervous energy. As a contractor he is known the country over. He has made vast sums of money in the contracting business, which he has invested in mills and other properties. Altogether he has about 25,000 men in his employ. He is worth about $3,000,000 and is abundantly able to provide the finances necessary to carry cm the work of digging the big ditch which is to connect the two oceans. Mr. Oliver arrived in Washington last night and in an unpretentious way talked about his early life in Indiana and the responsibilities of the new work he is about to undertake. He said that his bid is the lowest because he is able to finance the undertaking himself, while other bidders would have to secure financial assistance from banks, which would have reduced their margin of profits. He will use a great deal of negro labor in digging the canal. “It is simply a great big job,” said he, “The engineering problem is the only thing about the job that makes it difficult in its magnitude.” The late Samuel Spencer, president of the Southern railroad, had a great many dealings with Oliver and he used to say that Oliver’s word was as good his bond. In fact, when Spencer made contracts with Oliver on behalf of the Southern railway he never asked for a bond.

—; Q VISITING BROTHERS WERE HERE District Deputy McLaughlin and Staff • • Officiated—Social Session and Smoker. The installation of the officers for the local branch. Knights of Columbus, occurred at their hall Wednesday evening, District Deputy T. J. McLaughlin and staff Including J. J. Wolfe, and Mart Rinehart of Fort Wayne, officiated as installing officer. Past Grand Knight E. X. Ehinger presided and a large number of the members were present. The new officers re Ch-rles N. Christen, Grand Knight; H. F. Costello, deputy grand knight; H. J. Yager, chancellor; T. F. Ehinger, financial secretary; F. J. Wemhoff, recording secretary; D. M. Niblick, treasurer; Ben kohn, warden; Ed Meyer, lecturer; J. C. Moran, advocate; Charles Lose and Joe Wolpert, guards; W. A. Kuebler, Dyonis Schmitt and Frank Heiman, trustees. After the installation services a social session and a smoker was enjoyed. John Baker served a delicious luncheon and short talks were made by visiting knights and local members. It was a delightful occasion. o—

V ~ • —■ John Spuller, the auctieneer, returned Wednesday from a very successful trip of crying sales, the biggest and heaviest being those at Liberty Center, Mount Zion, and Poneto, being farm and horse sales. John is fast gaining a wide spread reputation and will soon be a fair rival to the veteran Fred Reppert, his partner, and is now becoming in demand. He has a good, clear, strong voice and always gets the high dollar for all be sells. He has several important sales coming i next week. 1 ! resident W. H. Fledderjohann of ! th„ Fort Wayne &' Springfield Inter- 1 urban company, was in the city yes- 1 terdiy en route to St. Marys, 0., for a consultation with Mr. J. H. Koenig, 1 chief counsel of the road. Mr. Fled- 1 derjohann is unable to tell as yet the J date upon which service will be in- ( augurated on the Fort Wayne-Decatur * jkne This delay in the shipment ofj certain pieces of equipment for the t cars is re<"n?.ible for the delay in the t < oening of- the line, he stated. —Fort 1 < Wayne Journal-Gazette. |j Robert' Allison returned to Fort t fi 3 morning to resume his school t 3 - rk. He will have completed hlsp c ; arse this week an i will then leave i t for Missouri, where he will accept a t position in the lumber business. If

WHILE RETURNING FROM IOWA Was Riding in Caboose es Through Freight—Sudden Stop Threw Him Violently to the Floor Frank Berger, the veteran horse buyer, is at present confined at the home of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Kern, on South Eighth street, in a very serious condition suffering from internal injuries in his chest, neck and bruises on the back of the head, the result of a railroad accident near Crown Point, Ind. Mr. Berger was on his return trip from lowa, where he had been looking after business interests and in order to get home some earlier he concluded to ride a through freight and accordingly secured passage in the caboose of a freight train. The train left Crown Point on time and everything was running along nicely until some fifteen miles from the starting point, when the air brake connection on the caboose broke, causing the train to stop suddenly, this throwing Mr. Berger, who was sitting in one of the seats, forward and backward in such away that his chest, neck and back of his head were severely injured. The injury to the train was soon mended and the train arrived in Huntington a few minutes late, where is was met by the claim agent of the road and Mr. Berger was transferred to the passenger train and brought home under his especial care, and he is now at the home of Mrs. Kern. Dr D. D. Clark was Immediately summoned and made the patient as comfortable as possible, but informed us today that he was unable to tell the extent of his injuries until several days had elapsed, as time alone would .tell. Mr. Berger suf-j fers untold agony from the injuries to his head and complains of considerable pain in his chest and back of his neck. CELEBRATED GOLDEN WEDDING Happy Event at the Home of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Crist. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Crist of West Washington township, celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary at their palatial home on Tuesday, January 15th, 1907. At 12 o’clock a sumptuous repast was served to all present and the afternoon was spent in relating

many reminiscences of “ye olden times,” and in having a good social time. One of the novelties of the day was the groom attired in his wedding costume. Those present from a distance were: Mrs. Wm. Diehl, Mrs. Ada Schoolie, Wm. Diehl and Master Marion Schoolie of Elkhart; Mr. and Mrs. S. D. Crist of Fort Wayne, Mr. John Floyd of Durbin, Ind. Mr. and Mrs. Crist received many useful and valuable presents as reminders of the occasion. They also proved to be royal entertainers and have not lost any of the old-time zeal of trying to make people feel better by having come in contact with them. May they live to enjoy many happy returns of the day, are the wishes of their many friends. — -o— The farmers # are already beginning to complain of the condition of the roads and from all appearances they will be in a terrible shape unless a freeze comes and will be practically impassible. The heavy wet snow and the recent rains together with heavy travel have caused the highways to become badly cut up. Easter Sunday 1907 comes in on March 31, which is unusually early, and it is not often that it makes its appearance at that early date. An early Easter an early spring, is an old saying, but it is not often that u comes in during the month of March. The early naw will bring the b* ginning of Lent on F ebruary l?r Joe Lose of the firm of Lose & Son, breeders of fancy White Wyandott chickens, on yesterday, sold sixteen hens and one cockerel of the Sunflower strain to Mr Fitzpatrick of Delphi, * Ind., receiving in return the neat sum 1 of |34, or |2 per head. The chickens were beauties and speak volumes for the ability of the well known chicken concern. J. R. Spivey, postmaster, stated this morning that so far as he knew < the published reports that have been going the rounds of the papers for ; some time regarding a new rule as to letters mailed with insufficient postage, was all a pipe dream. The re-! 1 port stated that letters of this sort 1 would be sent direct to the dead let- ( ! ter office. Mr. Spivey says that his. 1 office has received no instructions to'' this effect. —Bluffton Banner. I* • - b On January 29, there will be a par- i tial eclipse of the moon, the beginning < of which will be visible in the United t i States. In the year of 1907, Easter Sunday will be on March 31; Lent will i begin on February 13; Pentecost win;< be on May 19; the first Sunday in Ad-jt vent on December 1; Washington’s; birthday will fall on Friday; Decora- i tion Day on Thursday; the glorious * 1 Fourth of July on Thursday. t

SECOND STREET IMPROVEMENT Sign the Waiver With Understanding That Corporate Limits Will Not Be Changed for Two Years. The city council met Wednesday afternoon in special session to hear further argument over the assessment roll on the North Second street improvement. Mayor Coffee presided and every councilman with the exception of Christen who is sick, was present. The argument was opened by Attorney Koenig who stated that after a due deliberation over the matter of their assessment they had concluded to raise no objection to the same and would file waiver as required by law and take the ten year plan as to paying the same. This agreement was reached by the company after having held a conference with the council at which time it was agreed that if the interurban submitted to the assessment as imposed without a law suit, the city would agree not to extend the corporate lines of the city north for tw<f years, to which the railroad agreed and the assessment roll was adopted and ordered certified to the treasurer for collection. This improvement has been the cause of several special sessions and the council seemed glad to have the matter finally settled. . , o A BRIGHT- YOUNG JOURNALIST Who is, “Making Good” in Oaxaoa, In Extreme South Part of That Old Country. 1 Russ Harruff, who has enjoyed a several weeks’ visit with his parents and other friends here, left Friday night for Oaxaca, Mexico, where he is engaged in newspaper wprk. Mr. Harruff, who is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Harruff, has been engaged in journalistic work in Mexico for several years and is considered ofie of the brightest young Americans in that country. Until a few months ago he was on the staff of the. Daily Herald, leading paper of Mexico City. Leaving them he took charge of a new weekly paper at Oaxaca, 400 miles south of the capital, one of the owners of the paper being Paul Wooten, also a former Decatur boy. Oaxaca is the capital nf the Rtate hearincr the asma name.

lui ui me BLttLe uwarmg me same name, ‘ a territory comprising 26,000 square miles and the weekly mentioned is the only newspaper tn the entire state. E Mr. Harruff also has an Interest in two gold mines, with splendid future pros- ‘ pects and he expects to “clean up” nicely within the next two years. Some ' idea of the distance from here to Oax--1 aca can be had when it is known that the United States-Mexico border line is just half-way from this city. The city of Oaxaca is within 100 miles of the fartherest point in Mexico reached by any railroad. Russ is a young ' hustler, with grit and ability and we hope his future is as successful as now seems probable. o ECLIPSES TO OCCUR THIS YEAR A Partial Eclipse of the Sun on Jan-

uary 29th. The yearly data of 1907 will be of general interest to an, and the knowledge that four eclipses of the sun and moon are to occur will afford much satisfaction to those who delight ia research of all kinds. The first eclipse was on .January 14, and was a total eclipse of the sun in-visible-to North America. The next eclipse will occur on January 29, and will be a partial eclipse of fair Luna, and can be seen here.. Those who desire to see the shadow creep across the face of the moon will have to be early risers, as the big show starts iat 6:06 in the-morning. On July 10 will occur an eclipse t of the sun, which will be visible to .North America. On July 24 the moon will undergo another partial eclipse and those who are on the streets in the evening can see it readily. This will be the star event of the year in the eclipse line, as it occurs at 9:04 'o’clock in the evening and stays that way until 11:41, when it leaves the shado w : - ■ -» <>>"■-' The child who is taught to love animals and to have a dog as a companion is {-.traduced to a friend of the truest and ISfest kind—the kind of friendship that 1-sts. Have you never had a dog? Ther you don’t know what pleasure can bo had in his companionship in rambles, in his quiet presence in your room, his unobtrusiveness when human company would bore you; a “chum” who always adapts himself to your mood when man or woman would jar upon you. By all means cultivate in children a love of animals, especially of “taan’s best friend,” the dog. W. M. Fink of Brooklyn N. Y., who is buyng horses in this vicinity for a firm in Brooklyn, left today for Van' Wert, to look after business affairs. i

ON NORTH SECOND STREETH And the Matter Will be Settled in I Court—Asks for Appraisers to Re-assess His Benefits. Attorney A. P. Beatty, representing E. Fritzinger, has filed a suit in court, , it being an appeal from the assess- ( ment made by the city of Decatur against Mr. Fritzinger’s property for 1 the paving of North Second street, I Mr. Fritzinger owns 527 feet of land i fronting on said street, where his lime ] kiln and stone quarry are located. The ; land, except for the purpose used, is not very valuable, and the petitioner 1 says the assessment of $1,651.31 is 1 SI,OOO in excess of his benefits. The * assessment was made proportionate for front footage and Mr. Fritzinger’s ] assessment is as high as it would be j if his land wap valuable. This he objects to and says he will oppose stren- ! uously the payment thereof. The pe- 1 tition recites the facts concerning the 1 letting of the contract, etc., and says, 1 That on December 20th, 1906, the day ' set apart for the purpose, he appear- 1 ed before the council and remonstrat- ! ed as to his assessment, but that notwithstanding his objection the assess- > ment stood and the same turned over ’ to the city treasurer on January Bth, ] for collection. He asks that the court : appoint three appraisers to re-assess 1 his benefits. The petition was brought 1 up this morning and Mr. Beatty asked that the appraisers be appointed. L. 1 C. DeVoss, appearing for the city, ’ argued that , the law requires a writ- ’ ten remonstrance and that, this had not been filed by .Mr. Fritzinger and 1 that he had thereofre lost his right : to appeal. The question seemed to i be a new one and the cause went over until tomorrow morning, when Judge < Erwin will give his ruling. o Encourage your young sons and daughters to bring their friends home. ( Meet them, talk with them, and let . them know you are interested, and want them to come. This will mean ; a little expense, probably, but it need be a very little expense and the after years will repay you fourfold. Young girls and young men crave so- , ciability—and if the parents do not provide a bright, cheerful home with ( the friends to contribute to their , pleasure, they will go outside to find it. Let your home be the general meeting place. Encourage your sons i And dAne-htorH tn fntmdnnci their

, auu uauguters to niirouuce tneir : young friends to you, and discourage any intimacy with a young man or young woman your son or daughter hesitates to introduce into their home. The two cases- filed against Isaac Robison yesterday, charging him with public intoxication on December 28 and 29, were continued, owing to the fact that Robison asked fora .change of venue. The casefr will in all probability be sent before Squire Stone for trial some time in the near future. Robison says he is not guiltymnd can prove that he was not intoxicated on the above dates. Frislnger & Co., Wednesday sold, one of their big Belgian stallions to a party near Berne. The animal was a beauty weighing nearly 2,200 pounds and brought about a dollar a pound. The last lot of horses purchased by

Mr. Frsinger were among the best ever shipped into America. Several other parties from surrounding cities I were in today looking the horses over, . with the view of purchasing. G. W. Dull of Malinta, Ohio, is the i new Clover Leaf station agent at Decatur. He is a Willshire boy, being the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Dull, northeast of town. He has been engaged in railroad work as telegrapher and agent for a number of years and that he has made good is evidenced by the fact that he is now promoted to ene of the best stations on -the

Clover Leaf line. —Willshire Herald. Manager George Klein of the bowling alley, is trying to arrange a two team tournament, the contests to be held some time next week It is his object to get ten teams of this kind and have all the games played in one 1 evening. The local bowlers are taking hold of the scheme readily and* several entries have so far been made. I If pulled off the contests will prove interesting. Cavins all circuit and superior judges of the state will receive $3,500 a year frem the state, payable in quarterly installments, except those judges in countes having cities with" 30,000 inhabitants or more. In such counties that have large cities it is provided that the county commissioners on petition may increase the salary of the judges, but in no case shall they be more than $4,000 annually. , Capt. Kirby of Thedford, Nebraska, : is in the city the guest of Mr. and < Mrs. W. R. Dorwln. Mr. Kirby was i formerly engaged in the newspaper 1 business in this city, he having sue- 1 cceded Ashcraft on the Journal. He i is now judge of the county in which i he resides and is held in high esteem < by his fellow men. He expects to re- ] main here for several days before re- < turning to his home. ’

W® friends are still loyal Louis Ludlow of the Star League, Gives a Brief Interview With Congressman Cromer. Washington, Jan. 17—In an interview for the Star today Representative Cromer threw some light on his plans for the future. When asked if there is any truth in the statement that he is going to move out of the. district he replied: ‘There is not the slightest foundation for that report. I shall return to Muncie to live. There is too much going on in politics in the Eighth district to justify me in being away.” “Will you be a candidate for the Republican nomination for congress in 1908?” ~ “I am not now ready to give an answer to that question,” Mr. Cromer replied. “I will say, however, that I am receiving letters from friends all over the district who say that if I will become a candidate they will fight for me in earnest. Os course such assurances are very gratifying.” From the tenor of Mr. Cromer’s talk it is evident that there will be merry times in the Republican camp in the Eighth district during the next two years. It is known that Cromer does not feel that he has any reason to be discouraged ever his political achievements and prospects. He naturally obtains some comfort from the fact that although he has been in many hard-fought political battles he has uniformly come out victor except in the election last year. Every day .he is attending to matters of organization and when he goes back to Muncie at the.close of the present session he will devote his attention to building political fences. In this connection it is interesting to know that Mr. Cromer has taken up the cause of the newspapers in county seats and towns that are fighting for a restoration of the privileges of exchanging advertising space for railroad transportation. He is working like a beaver to secure the. : restoration of this privilege, notwithstanding many of the papers in the Eighth district did not champion.his cause in the recent campaign. “I believe,” said he, "that congress at the present session will restore that privilege to the newspapers. Certainly it ought to do so. As nearly as I can ascertain .the sentl-

ment in the house all of the Republi- ! can members are for it, except a few of independent turn of mind who never expect to come back to congress.” . ! i AFTER fledderjohann line I.- ■ ■ ■ I . .. . ; The Willshire Herald Puts up Good Argument for Electric Line. The Ft. Wayne-Springfield electric line subsidy lost in the special election in certain townships in Adams and Jay counties last Thursday. President Fledderjohann insists that the road will be built south, but it is pretty generally believed that if the proper encouragement was given , the promoters it will not be a difficult task to have the route deflect and the line

t built from Decatur through Pleasant I Mills, Willshire, Chattanooga and on s to Celina and connect with the line , ■, that is in operation between Dayton . and Lima. This would certainly be a . , feasible route, and it is just the outlet ( people living along the suggested , route are in need of. The decidedly bum service the Clover Leaf is giving ( ’ the people of Willshire and Pleasant ( , Mills should serve as a direct impetus £ I for them to get after the Fledderjo- . harm line with a determination to land [ it.—Willshire Herald. -— o 1 FLOODS ARE CAUSING DAMAGE 1

Streams Are Out of Banks In Indiana and Ohio. Springfield, 111., Jan. 18. —Shawneetown this morning, appealed to Gover- , nor Deenin for help on account of the j floods. The matter was referred to the adjutant general and 100 tents j were shipped immediately to Shawneetown. Princeton, Ind., Jan. 18. —White, Patoka and Wabash rivers still continue to raise. Beginning two miles west of here and extending twenty-five miles north of Vincennes is a stretch of land in which the loss is estimated at SIOO,OOO. ’ o FURNACE AT JAIL EXPLODED Sheriff Eli Meyer had a hair-raising j experience this morning. He was fr- j ing the furnace at the jail when a s quantity of coal gas exploded, knock-1 ing the officer down. When he arose i he resembled a Mississippi “coon,” his face being as black as any colored gentleman you ever saw. He scrubbed an hour and his face still bore evidence of the explosion when he reported at the court house. His escape from serious injury was miraculous. t

SUMMONS IN THE FELTY CASE Final Report in the Cramer Estate— A Quiet Title Case Tried and Adjusted. Dore B. Erwin, attorney for Shammon R. Miller, has filed suit, for a divorce frem Nannie Miller. The complaint s?ys that the Millers were married September 4, 1902, and lived together until yesterday. The plaintiff says he has always been dutiful and has well provided for his wife and family, but that during the past year she has frequently been guilty of adultery with one Oliver Cowell. The custody of the two children, Dollie, aged three years and Forrest, aged two months, is asked by the plaintiff. The parties are well known in Union township and the story of this break in their lives is deeply regretted by friends. Mr. Miller is but twenty-eight years old and his wife seven years younger. Erastus Fritzinger, e»-parte, appeal from assessment on North Second street, petition filed for appointment of re-appraisers. Richard Felty vs. Charles F. Felty et al., summons ordered to sheriff of Wells county for Charles F. Felty, affidavit as to non-residence of Jesse Felty, Warren and Civilla McQuiston, and to Sheriff Meyer for other defendants. D. M. Osborne & Co., vs. Mattie Young, suit on guaranty, demurrer to complaint overruled. Susie Melching vs. William MelchIng, divorce and alimony, default of defendant, prosecuting attorney ruled, to answer. David C. Schwarz vs. Henry Garber et al., submitted, mortgage ordered cancelled, title quieted, E. Burt Lenhart appointed commissioner to make deed. < Uriah E. Cramer et al., vs. Caroline Cramer et al., partition, commissioner filed final report and was discharged. Christina R. Niblick, administratrix of the W. H. Niblick estate, filed a petition to compromise judgment against Willis Hoagland and it was so ordered by the court.

Only two days of the November term ' of court and then a two weeks’ vacation. From appearances the business for the term has been almost completed. At any rate the dockets show but little business transacted today. Mary A Briner vs. Sarah and William Ehle, partition case dismissed and the costs paid. Clara B. Thomas vs. William Hamilton et al., complaint to quiet title, deed reported and approved and commissioner E. B. Lenhart discharged. Pearl Barnell vs. Aaron Ireland, $2,000 damages, motion by defendant to require plaintiff to make complaint more specific.

Norvell Shopleigh vs. Schafer Hard- • ware Company, suit on account, an- - swer in two paragraphs filed, rule to < reply to second paragraph. Interrogatories submitted to plaintiff, rule to answer same by first day of next term. Noah A. Loch vs. Edward Dirkson, et al, complaint for receiver, the receiver ordered and empowered to bring suit wherever necessary. ODr. E. J.-- Dykeman left-Willshire Friday evening for his new home at Richmond, Ind., where he has set up

dental parlors and' will seek to build. , up a practice. Just before leaving the doctor asked us to give, him a good word in the Herald. And this is what :' _ . we have to say: He came to Will- . shire fresh from dental college, in the.* : , experimental stage. When he left as- ? , ter almost three years of practice he , showed a skill and proueiency seldom acquired by dentists many years his senior in the practice. His professional work in Willshire and vicinity will make a substantial foundation for the success he is capable of obtaining in a professional way. By the way, a good dentist would find Willshire a splendid point at which to locate. —Willshire Herald. — A number of the leading young laidies of our city have banded them- . selves together for the purpose of J organizing an athletic club and a committee of the girls are now eagerly j trying to secure quarters. It is their t intention to equip the club with all kinds of athletic goods which shall be used for the purpose of exercise and physical culture. The project is ceritainly a good one. ' T -'o W ber went to Van Wert today to bring four horses to this city that were purchased by W. M. Fink, a horse buyer from Brooklyn, N. Y. I