Decatur Democrat, Volume 51, Number 3, Decatur, Adams County, 21 March 1907 — Page 1

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lISTORY OF ; ADAMS COUNTY [Prepared by the Ladies’ L Historical Club. I k' f The first care of the pioneer was I lood and shelter. The next was eduI sation for the youth, growing up in I .he cabins of the Then I fame the church to call attention to I ;he Giver of all good to man, and lastI y came the press to educate him Bating the lines of statecraft, public ■problems, and the scanty news from ■kn older and more advanced civiliza- ■ lion. II Ever since 1848, the sentiments of Ikt least part of the citizens of the L) county have been voiced by the press I pf Decatur. i The Decatur Gazette was the first ■I in Adams county, Joshua Randall proprietor and James Smith I editor. Some of the chroniclers have ■rat that this same James Smith was the ■ifcrst school teacher in the county in T>hLB3B, while others claim the same for P&oshua Randall. Very certain it is jfchat both were among the first to 1/teach the young of Adams county. "mA little later on we find that Mr. (fS’mith had the distinction of being so J (thoroughly hated by his enemies, that H he was the first in the county to get coat of tar.and feathers. Whether EJiJperited or not, no one at this late day fjpan tell, but it is quite likely that Hais editorials were more personal I ■ than pleasant, and he having the only. no other mode of answering -was available. The editor of the presB ent day can congratulate himself on I the improvement in the modern methf ods of answering personal allusions in B' the editorial columns. The Gazette H I was an exponent of the Whig party, suspended in about two years: t! Joshua Randall, after engaging in the newspaper business in several places, H did his last work in that line, in InfcL.tlianapolis, as editor of- the IndianapI olis Bee, several years after the Civil ■J War. . ?I ,' , I ■ The Adams County Democrat. .was the next paper to.claim the ear pf , the people. It was "founded by James . B. Simcoke in 1852, who was both editor and proprietor. This paper, Affiliated with that extreme wing of l /.the National Democrat party who reh ! pudiated Stephen A. Douglass in the' ’ ' campagin of 1860, and supported John ;, E. Breckinridge. The campaign of *■lß6o and the breaking out of .the ’- r Civil War was especially disastrous ' to papers of that persuasion and The ) Adams County Democrat was forced to suspend. . r I The Decatur Eagle was established yin 1857’ by H. L. Phillips, who was Mas ter wards associated with. W. G, | Spencer as. B was sold to A. J. Rill, who published 3 it for fifteen yearsj- Jn 1873 when the Bjiew court house ,’nas built,.if act ions g-' arose in the Democrat party of the ■, county. Much bad feeling was en- ■ > gendered and many grave charges ■pwere made by The Eagle which, was I the organ of one faction. As it was ■ impossible for the other faction Ip I get their side before the people with ■ only one press in the town, J. R. Bobo and Seymour Worden, auditor of the county at the time, purchased a : press and established The Decatur Herald. The war for a time waS lively. Everybody wanted both papers * . to see how badly each could abuse the other. ’ This -was in 1873. In 1874 The Eagle sold out to. Mr. McGonagie. l w.as oyer and The Herald 1 . Because of the ’ Eaglb’s 1 fefaj-g In the party fracas, and the itojuffling in a portion of party, changed | its name to The Decatur Democrat, ’1 and under this name and the manage ment of L. G. Ellingham, the presJent editor,’it still promulgates the prinI f clples of Democracy. It is now issued both weekly and daily. The weekly is le ' Issued every Thursday, the daily every > # evening except Sunday. The Democrat is well patronized all oven the county. It has changed. editors sevtimes since it changed names and I now an up-to-date outfit, with all modern facilities for turning out per acceptable to the public. e Decatur Journal was establishn 1879 by Dr.. D. G| M, Trout ditor,- George Stanton publisher. Journal has had A succession of rs. It is the organ of the Repuba of Adams county and has a latlon of 900. It ,is a fair sized ; paged paper, Issued every FriThe Daily Journal was run-in

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connection with the weekly, about six 1 1 or seven years, but was suspended i in 1906. x i The Adams County Union was : founded in 1878 with J. F. Snyder and. Paul G. Hooper editors. This paper was “Greenback” in-politics and run for aboiA two years. The Adams County Times was another paper established in 1876 by ,W. W. Timmons. This paper was issued about six or seven months and then removed to another locality. In politics it was Democratic. The Free Press was founded in 1876 or 77, by W. 8. Congleton. It was Republican in politics and run for ovqr a year, or until the Journal was founded in 1879, In 1858 a paper with the flourishing title of Young America, was started by T. J. Tolan with the ever recurring James Smith as editor. The paper was. an advocate of the new Republican party and discontinued after running, a little over a year. The Decatur News was a paper stared by Mr. Norval Blackbum, who was for a long time proprietor of The Democrat. After selling The Democrat Mr. Blackburn founded the new paper which was somewhat independent in politics. At Mr. Blackburn’s death, in 1898, the paper was sold to Mr. Kizer who ran It about’ a year and then suspended publication. , The Geneva Herald was established 1 in 1881. In that year it made its firstappearance as the Geneva News, with John Cully as editor. In 1883, it was sold to H. S. Thomas, the name beto The Geneva Herald. It is Independent in politics, and has a good circulation. In 1885, Ed Phillips started The Geneva Enterprise, which ran about a year and then suspended. ... The enterprising little town of Berne has had a publishing house r l sinee 1884, which belonged to the • General Conference of the Mennonlte church. 1 Early in the 90’s a book bindery was established in connection with the Mennonite Book Concern, and was a very successful business enter- ? prise,/ as book and magazines were : sent -to this bindery from all the Sur- ; rounding towns to be bound or to be rebound. The Mennonite. Book Con- ■ a German weekly pa, ! per, ’llbmdesbote; an English' weekly, The Mennonite; a semii monthly children’s papier, the jjjnder- ■ and a German Sunday school i all edited, printed and i mailed in Berne. In September, 1896, , a new paper, The Berne Witness, was t launched with an office force of two ■ people. In 1897 the paper was ,ehlarged and the force increased' to i three. In 1897 it was; again -enlarged E and the force that year was five. In » 1900 a German edition was added and i continued until November, - 1901, > when the two were merged and Issued 1 send-weekly, the paper printed in English With one page in German. In I 1900 the prining of the Mennonite ! Book Concern was added, the force • increased to eleven, about? 3,000 ’ worth of new machinery added and I the plant moved into more copimod- ! ions quarters. In the latter part of > Jhis year, the editor formed a partners' ship with three .other parties, he ret - tainlng one-half interest in the coni cern which he had.formerly owned, i In 1906 two more partners were taki en in and the company was, incorpo- > rated; with a capital ptock of? 12,000, i the maniged, by three di; < rectors, with Mr. Rohrer president t and general. manager. Another department was added. The school sup- ’ ply business under the management -of Mr. Ray. The gross earnings of i this newspaper plant has Increased : from to $12,000 per year. IJew I and up-to-date machinery is added . annually and the office force now numL bers eighteen. i - In the fair of 1903 The Berne News > was established with Hamilton Mercer f Ms editor and S. W. Miller mariager. 1 The paper was issued as a semi-week- , ly, Democratic in politics. Mr. Mercer • had charge of the paper only a few ■ months when the present editor, Otto • Ryf assumed the editorial chair. and I has been in charge ever since, and <s i now both editor and proprietor. The ' News is issued every Wednes4ay and • Saturday. It has very flattering prosi pects and a circulation of 750. t The .Star News was a small paper I issued every two. weeks by the Snow I brothers from July 14, 1894 to June ; 1905. This paper was started when the oldest of the brothers, Egrl, was' • thirteen and the youngest, Horace, ; only nine. . These boys did «all the . writing, composition and. press work. They were very successful id solicitin advertisements and their paper had / a.' circulation of four hundred, with t an exchnge in Bombay, India, and ■ .subscribers in eight or nine states. The little paper has been suspended

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, March 21. 19Q7.

for over a but their advertising . $ and job printing has grown so large | that new, machinery, new type and a: new building for an office is now in j possession of the younger brother, who- carries on a very successful job printing business and is always busy. Some time in the early ’7o's three boys at Monmouth, Jacob and Samuel Magley and Paul Hooper, the oldest about fourteen, formed a partnership, purchased a hand press and went into ■ the newspaper business. The result ' was the issuing of The Cyndian, a ! small weekly, which soon obtained a ' 1 circulation of over three hundred, and run for about two years, the boys do- ’ ing all theiy own writing and composi- ■ tion. The two Magley boys soon grew 1 (tired and sold their interest to C. M. 1 Hill, a boy still younger, but with editorial ,ambitions. Hooper & Hill was the new firm and when The Cyndian expired both went into larger printing offices and the knowledge acquired by editing and printing the little Cyndian was not thrown iway. The zHistorical Club is indebted to Mr. John H. Heller, the present manager of the Daily Democrat, for the following account of the daily newspapers of Decatur: The .existence of a daily paper as a permanent institution in Decatur dates back just fifteen years. Prior to that time there were several special i editions when occasion demanded. ■ Some thirty ago Winfield S. Congleton conducted a dally paper for a few weeks, but the community fail--ed to support it and ’ d ’validictory the editor, soon followed. In fall of 1884, Edward Phillips edited a daily during the famous Charles Worst murder trial. In 1885 M. M. Stoops ran a daily paper during d county fair, continuing it about three weeks after the fair closed. In September 1891, Will Ashcraft, then owner of the Journal, published a morning daily for fifteen days during the trial of Lige Holland, a negro, who was charged with the murder of Daisy Reynolds, a Blue Creek township school teacher. , The real father of the daily business in Decatur, with any prospect of sue-, {wua-Patrick J. Bobo, who in spring of 1892 formed a partnership witii/.Ed Martin aid launched the Daily Evening News. The-offices were on the second floor of the Niblick block, comer Monroe and Second streets, and lhe press work was done at the Democrat office. This a’ six column* folio with patent inside, and was a bright, newsy paper. Mr. i Bobo edited the News for nearly two : years when he put in a job office and i changed his paper to a five column . quarto, printed from his own press, and known as the Evening World. Six months later he changed it to a , weekly which he conducted several years. About his time, 1895, N. Blackburn stared the Daily Democrat, . a six column folio, which lived until i October, 1896, when it was suspended, i Ejariy in 1897 C. M» sl&rted < the Hally Journal, whlch stQdfl nobly the rough tides ifa&tftfon to daily pers in small towns', and existed until ( July 3rd, 1906. Mr. Kenyon sold td Mr. Harry Daniel in .idd he resold to. Mr. Kenyon in >1903, wjio issued morning and evening editions until last July .when the ’ paper was ‘ sttspended. ' The Daily present the , only dally in the city; was bom Janmry 12. 1903, a. six ■ column folio. It was enlarged March 11th, 1907, to a seven column folio. About 3000 papers are printed each day. and; it compares favorably with dailies in any small ’ City; in fact, the daily papers of Decatur ' always been A to tHe city and community and tytye jald; ed materially in the growth and prosperity thereof. The,daily paper of today in Decatur, is printed from arapidj Whitlock press and tbe .type -ftirnldhed by a modern double-deek- "■ -m&Bbiih&-- ? “ A "'says “inhuman cruelty” to tax because bachelors cannot help being bachelors. She holds that many men try in vain to win a wife and give up fn despair. This, leads Hie Baltlihore Sun to say the Chicago* women hare almost as peculiar views, it seems, aia’ the Chicago men. ? k < - — — - -o— —___ The new Huntington county court house in process of construction so tar has cost the county <847,238.77 ' and on : the general contract nearly $25,00(1 remains to 'be paid, while the frescoing, wood and; steel' furniture, electrical fixtures, etc., Win cost if 59,000 more. Altogether the building will the county nearly <325,000. Bonds totaling $260,000 hare been is-, sued, falling due in 1914. Short-time bonds probably will be issued to cover the cost still unpaid. v. .. — v • •

STATE OFFICERS TO ATTEND 4 — b A Number of Visiting Brothers Will , Visit Decatur—lnspection by ; Grand Officers. The local order of I. O. O. F. is j preparing to have a big time Tliurs- i day of this week, when Grand Patri- f arch L. G. Aikei and Grand Instructor Joseph Hall of Indianapolis, will be in our city and inspect the local order and in connection therewith, hold a district ' meeting. The committee appointed has its entire program arranged, and the event will be carried out to' the minutest detail and every visitng njember will receive a cordial welcome. In the afternoon at two thirty o’clock the subordinate lodge will meet and confer the second degree upon several candidates and an adjournment will then be taken until seven o’clock, allowing the members to partake of supper. At seven thirty o’clock the lodge will again convene and work in all the degrees will be? conferred upon several candidates. A large number of visiting Odd Fellows will be present and the event will be celebrated in an appropriate manner. At the close of the evening’s work a banquet will be served in the I. O. O. F. hall. FORMERLY -LIVED IN DECATUR — Moved to Anderson Fifteen Years Ago—End Came Unexpectedly Sunday Morning. Mathias Colchen, one of Anderson’s best known men, died suddenly at his home, 534 Wept Eighth street, at 1 o’clock Sunday morning. The funeral will be from St. Mary’s church at 9 o’clpck Tuesday morning and burial in St. Mai y’s cemetery. « was. about 55 years of bas r»-«t. for soihe 't’lnM,, but it wsa hot he Was about his -plMce of business and home : unts| abbut 10 o’clock Saturday night. No complaint was heard from the sick man until ajfew moments before ! his • death when, he was heard moving about his room. Members of Kls family hurried to his side, but before a physician or priest could be called the man was dead. Death was natural and was thejesult ot heart disease. Mathias Colchen came from Dephtur to Anderson about fifteen years ago. For some time ihe was in business apdJived on-Nichol'avenue, just west of the tfreen bridge/ About eight years ago,, -he bought property and moved to -Eighth street where he died. His wife died July 24th of last year. He leaves two sons and a daughter. ; Mathias. Colchen was an exemplary citizen. H^, was’ conspieiitious in all ! his dealings, honest, fair, and obeyed the law of his country to the letter.— Anderson News. Mr. JDolchen lived here for many years and has numerous, relatives* in this city, and county. While here* he conducted file Motts; Colchen restaurant In a frame building o whiqh Wheire-dhe -Model Cigar Store |s now located. , O -‘■rWORKING MAIL WEIGHING i . ■• • ■ ■ ■■ —hi ■ -J‘ i ‘ The May Appoint an In4>v •.; >. land waterway.:Commission. Washington, Match 19.—The visit jpf Governor Tieneen of I Saturday b'r«ugfeE”4ortfi one of fh'e iant crops of stories that Washington has produced in many a day. The conference between the President and the governor lasted less than an hour. Attorney General Stead of was the only person present until the close of the talk, when Secretary Taft and jkit Charles P. of Cincinnati, entered the roonfcjße* fore Mr. Deheen left; for home itlvely declined to dticnss the conference, but before, he was out of sight of the. capitol stories Were put in ctr; culation to the effect that. most o| the talk at the conference related to presidential politics. Washington, March 19. —The postoffice department has received notice that the railroads 1§ . tie third mail weighing district, comprising the central states, will, in due time, enter a

formal application that the order issued by George B. Cortelyou, just before he retired as postmaster general, providing that the rate for carrying the mails should be fixed on a seven day a week basis, be rescinded. Great pressure is to be brought to bear on the/pew postmaster general, Mr. Meyer to persuade him to set the order the department will not be discussed in advance of the filing of the formal protest. it is pretty well understood that the postmaster general will stand by Mr. Cortelyou’s decision. The new regulation does not go into effect until July 1, and between now and that date the roads affected expect to attempt to show that they will suffer loss if the order stands. Washington, March 19. —Complying with petitions presented by numerous commercial organizations of the Mississippi valley, President Roosevelt has decided to appoint an Inland waterways commission whose duty it will be to prepare and report a comprehensive plan for the, improvement and control of the river of the United States. _o DECATUR LADIES AT BLUFFTON Twelve O’clock Dinner Party by Mrs. Nachtrieb—The Pocahontas Ladies at Huntington. < > 6ne of the most successful and enjoyable surprises of the season was the one on Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dibble at their beautiful country home, three miles east of the city, given in honor of their twenty-fourth wedding anniversary, by their son Otis and daughter Blanche,-last evening. The ladies gathered at their home at two o’clock with large baskets filled and overflowing with everything that is necessary for a great event. The men arrived at four o’clock. During the afternoon the ladles prepared two large tables, one in the spacious dining room and one in the sitting room.. The decorations were grand . for jthe color scheme of red, yellow,, green, white and blue, was very nicely car-. • ried out. The dining,table was, deco-> rated in an artistic manner with crepe paper ,and the hooded .candles were > arranged around the f»om.., At six o’clock a mocif wedding was the main feature, the bride and groom being Mr. and Mrs. Dibble. They were attended by Mr. and Mrs, A. R. Bell, while Otis Dibble and Miss Blanche Dibble carried the flowers, which consisted of a jardiniere of geraniums with red blossoms made from crCpd paper. Rev. White performed the ceremony. The only hitch in the’ cetejnony v>s the delay of the best man Who had forgbtten the ring, but they remedied that by going to the barn and getting the check ring from the harness, after which-, every thio? went off smoothly. During the ceremony the hgard on the outside, and of course, they were invited to partake of the dinner. The bellers were b. M. Hensley, P. rG. Hooper apd A. R. Bell. The ring bearer was Master Brice Thomas. Fol-, lowing this an elaborate dinner was served, the guests finding their places by dainty little cards with their addresses, as thus: Mesdames Montana Ajlce Hensley, Hattie Florence Lew-’ ton, Luella Augusta Erwin, Marian Sarah. White, Luella Viola Vanline Jeanetta Nachtrieb, Anna Eliza Erwin Patterson, Lucy Jeannette Sprang, Louisa Pauline Albers Merryman, Carrie Louise Schirmeyer, Dora Margaret Bell, Harriet Amehey Dibble, Jane Rapier, Ella pelphlne Sprang Sprang Bell, Emma Estella Thomas, Bell, Emm,a„/. Estella Thomas, Master. Phillip Brice Thomas, Blanche Adelia Dibble, Destina June Beery Dnlleyr Jdgry Etta Beery) Mesfips. [ . David' Marton., .Mchai-d ? Kenney Erwin, ,John Crum White. William .Henry Schafer Nachtrieb/ DanlgL Sprang, James, Thrmai Metry--man, Alexander Rufus Rastus Bell,. Paul Grandville Hopper, Phillip Berry, ilSioipas, Daniel Webster Beery, Frank . Wiiliain Dibble, Charles Towers Raster. o One of Washington’s high school j principals relates an incident in connection With last commencement day. • A clever girl had. taken one of the principal prizes. Her friends crowded about her to offer congratulations. . “Weren’t you awfuly afraid you wouldn’t get it, Hattie,” asked one, i when they were /so many contest- i ants?" “Oh no!” cheerily exclaimed Hattie. “Because I knew that tvhen it j came to English composition I« had > ’em all skinned.” 1

OmOULATKm 2800 WKKKLY

REVIVAL AT BAPTIST CHURCH Services Every Afternoon and Even ing—Evangelirt Here. Revival services, are on at the Bap* tist church. Rev, Landis is here in the power of the Spirit and we are expecting great things of God. Rev Landis is a powerful man in speech. A clear, distinct tone voice that eni ables the hearer to catch every word. He has not a sledge hammer way of speaking, but in that stern, earnest, sincere way does he proclaim the Gospel, and every word uttered sinks 1 deep into the hearts of his hearers. There will be meetings every day at 2:30 during the remainder of the week, except Saturday afternoon. These meetings well attend ed, especially by the members, as Rev. Landis wants to speak to the members of our church, as well as tc the unsaved. You come, Baptists Gome, my unsaved friend. God wants you, and you need God. Come, hear this noble man of God. E. ERNEST BERGMAN. o— . AND ASKS FOR A DIVORCE Says Her Husband Beat and Cursec Her—Two Marirage Licenses Were Issued; A complaint has been filed by At tomey L. C. DeVoss, representini Dora Hower, in frhich the latter aski for a divorce from her husband Charles J. H. Hower. They were mar ried November 1, 1902, and ’separatet last Saturday. Tile complaint recite, that Charles is a “worthless, lazy trifling man, unwilling to work to sup port his family.” He is also accuse! of cursing his wife, beating and kick ing and otherwise abusing her. Dors says he is very jealous of her and re fuses to allow her to visit her neigh bors. Two children have come t< them, Avilla, now aged three years and Henrietta, aged fifteen months A dlvorcd, the custody of the childrei and four dollars per week for suppor of the children are demanded. . t - r f< A marriage license was Issued Jesse M. Brinker of Greensburg, Pa. And Mrs, Mary C. Mauller of Unior township. The grdom 4b fifty year old and has never been married. Th< ; .bride ife iorty-jiinp years old and wa the /ormeb* wife dl David Maullei who died about a'year’ago. The con pie were married by Squire Jame H. Snlith this morning: A marriage license has been issue< tb Earl McConnehey of this city ant Emma Johnloz of Washington town ship. o- ; CHANGE IN FINANCIAL POLICV Has Been Decided, Upon by th< President. ' Washington, D. C., March 19. —Thai the administration has decided on s striking change in its financial policy is the information given out todaj from highly authoritative sources. The action if taken will reverse Secretary Shaw and eliminate certain railroac bonds from the position they n3w occbpy as gilt-edged securities, iffic impression here is that the sudden de ; partnre of Morgan for England with out; having actually accomplished the reality of seeing the railroad dents and Roosevelt get together, had something to do with his attitude. Forelgfi capitalists hold much of this kind of stuff and are showing extreme sensitiveness over the situation. It is understood that Morgan goes to allay their fears a much as is within his power. o '■ OBITUARY. Louis Evans was born in Champaign county, Ohio, Feb. 13, 1848, died Sunday, March 10, 1907, age 59 years, 27 days. He wai united in marriage to Mrs. Catharine McAlex- [ ander April 16, 1868, to thia union ; 7 children being born, 5 sons and 2 , daughters, 3 of whom have preceded him to the better land. He was united to the Christian Disciples church ■ and baptized in 1888. Two weeks be- ! fore his death he was gloriously con- , verted and calling all his friends to his bedside he asked them to meet him in heaven. His sickness was very severe, he having suffered one year with cancer of the stomach. He bore it with great patience and in his last days he was happy in the Lord. He was a loving father and a kind husband. Those left to mourn are: A companion, Carrie, Freman, Lewis, Albert, 2 step sons, 1 step daughter, 2 brothers, 1 sister, 7 grand children and a host of friends. We mourn not as those who have no hope, for he was willf&g to die, whenever the Lord said It is enough. In the morning of the resurrection the mystery be explained. Sweet be thy rest.

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