Decatur Democrat, Volume 51, Number 10, Decatur, Adams County, 9 May 1907 — Page 6

The Decatur Foundry company, capitalized at $30,000, has been organized to begin business July 1 at Decatur. C. R. Kenyon and C. E. Conley will be managers and fifty men will be employed at the outset. —Fort Wayne Sentinel. The funeral of Philip D. Fristoe was held this afternoon at the home on Marshal street, Rev. Bergman, of the Baptist church officiating, and a large crowd being present to pay their last tribute of respect to the deceased. Interment was made in the Decatur cemetery. Congressman Adair stated Thursday, he was unable at this time, to give a definite answer to the Oklahoma invitation, much depending upon his health and business engagements at that time, but that he expected to go, if circumsances permitted. —Portland Commercial-Review. Frank Christman, the livliest citizen in Bluffton, and state agent for the Indianapolis Life Insurance company, was doing business in this city yesterday and today. Mr. Christman is a king bee in insurance circles, and knows more politics than any other ten men in the state. The committee which met at Warren yesterday to make arrangements to raise the $25,030 necessary to secure the Chopson home for age! Methcditts decided to raise the mrney by voluntary contributions from the churches in the conference. Mr. Harlan was made financial agent to raise the money. Mr. Chopson, of Warren, gives $50,000 toward founding a home for the aged near Warren providing the church will contribute $25,000. The special agent for the Home Insurance company, of New York, was in our city yesterday and settled the loss sustained by Mike Bogner Monday, when his house was struck by lightning. The loss was adjusted satisfactorily and every one concerned was well pleased with the actions of the company. The local agent is L. C. Helm. The barn raised by John J. Soldner in Monroe township last Wednesday is one of the highest found in this neck-o’-the-woods. Although it is only a flat barn, it is 49% feet high. And the other dimensions are proportionate, the width being 45 and length 86 feet. Yet. the barn having a hip roof, the rafters are only 9 feet. The studdings are 15 and the main posts 20% feet. The' barn stands on a 2% foot foundation and presents a very imposing appearance.—Berne Witness. Mr. Frank Tyler, of 922 Barr street, is suffering from two wounds as the result of apeculiar strees of circumstances. He was out In the country Sunday visiting relatives and while amusing himself by shooting a revolver he accidentally shot himself through the left hand. While his wound was being dressed a relative decided to discharge the other cartridges in the revolver and accidentally shot Mr. Tyler through the fleshy part of the right leg. Neither wound is serious.—Ft. Wayne Journal-Ga-zette. Ossian has been “lodged" and “ordered" until it would seem that there is no longer room for another fraternity. But evidently there is a place for another ladies’ club. The reporter was informed that an organization has been instituted here called “Crate No. 23,Illustrious Order of the Lemon, Skidoo Temple.” The big officers are Grand Lemon and Grand Lemon Squeeze. The lesser officers are Old Sour and Frost Bitten. The boys around the office say that in spite of the names there are no sour ones in the bunch. —Ossian News. Dr. Charles Blackman was interviewed by a Banner reporter this morning concerning the report started from Decatur that he, with Dr. W. W. Blackman, were considering closing a deal for a large sanitarium at Atlanta, Ga. Mr. Blackman stated that while they had been made a splendid offer to take over the institution and that it was the heighth of his ambition to have control over just such an institution as the one in the south, they Jiad not ever considered the offer seriously, and would not accept it. The doctors will remain in Bluffton, and from here make their regular visits to Decatur, Montpelier and Warren.—Bluffton Banner. o Ask for Allen’s Foot-Ease, A Powder. It makes walking easy. Cures Corns, Bunions, Ingrowing Nails. Swollen and Sweating feet. At all Druggists and Shoe Stores, 25c. Don’t accept any substitute. Sample FREE. Address, Allen S. Olmsted. Leßoy, N. Y.

Tutt’s Pills This popular remedy never fails to effectually cure Dyspepsia, Constipation, Sick Headache, Biliousness And ALL DISEASES arising from a Torpid Liver and Bad Digestion The natural result Is good appetite and solid flesh. Dose small; elegant* ly sugar coated and easy to swallow. Take No Substitute*

HAS LARGE NUMBER OF SIGNERS Filed in Wells County and Will Come Up for a Hearing Next Monday Morning—Will Probably be Built. Merriman & Dailey, attorneys, filed with the county auditor late yesterday afternoon a petition for a gravel road nine miles in length, running along the east line of Lancaster township the whole length, or six miles, and along Jefferson township for three miles. The road is to be a county line road and will be paid for by the townships named and the townships of Preble and Kirkland in Adams county. The petition filed by the attorneys is signed by one hundred and sixty-five petitioners of the townships of Lancaster and Jefferson, and will come up before the board of commissioners at their regular May term, which begins next Monday. The proposed road includes five miles that was petitioned for some two years ago, but was never advertised. as the county auditor claimed one of the petitions, calling for three miles, was not a connecting link between two gravel roads, and the constitutionality of the law was brought upon the other petition calling for two miles. These petitions had been filed by John Barger and John Drajii. and the matter of settlement is still in the hands of Judge Paulus, of Marion, who has, as yet, failed to give his decision. While the petition filed yesterday has all the earmarks of going through and the road being established, still should it fail, the standing of the cases still under consideration by Judge Paulus would not be thrown out and the people would still have a chance to get the five miles of gravel road. Should the board act favorable upon the petition in this county, notice will be served upon the commissioners of Adams county and a date will be made for a joint meeting to settle the matter. —Bluffton Banner.

PEARL BIXLER GIVEN DIVORCE Lister Suit Postponed to Allow Deposition of Witness to be Taken—Sale Ordered in Receivership Case. A new case entitled Abraham Weil and Isaac Weil vs. Charles F. Davison, suit on a written contract; demand $1,200, was filed here this morning on change of venue from Wells county. The defendant was an agent of Weil Bros, and authorized to buy Indiana wool during 1896. He is accused of having charged his firm in excess of the amount purchased and to have bought western wool instead of Indiana wool. The entire account is about $20,000. but the amount in controvery is $1,073.08. Olds & Niezer are attorneys for the plaintiffs. The divorce suit of Grace Lister vs. Thomas Lister, in which SSOO alimony is demanded, and to which the defendant is objecting, was set for trial today, but it developed that the testimony of Mary Wagner was necessary and her deposition was ordered taken on May 13th at her home on Decatur street. Pearl Bixler was granted a divorce from Peter Bixler, granted S2OO alimony and her name changed to Pearl Cook. Defendant was ordered to pay the costs of the case within sixty days. Noah A. Loch vs. Dirkson & Zwlck, receivership, petition filed by receiver for an order to sell personal property and accounts and notes. So ordered after notice for one week In the Daily Democrat. Sale fixed for Saturday, May 11th. William B. Welty, guardian for Helen M. Baker, filed an inventory, which was duly approved by the court. RURAL RT. SALARIES ADJUSTED Nearly all in Indiana Will Receive the Maximum Scale. The postoffice department announced today that there are 1,555 rural carriers in Indiana who will receive the maximum salary of S9OO a year when the salary increase bill goes into effect on July 1. The total number of rural carriers in the state is 2,133. The schedule upon which the new classification is made is as follows: Twentyfour or more miles the carrier will receive S9OO per annum; twenty-two to twenty-four miles, $864; twenty to twenty-two miles, $810; eighteen to twenty miles, $720; sixteen to eighteen miles, $630.14; fourteen to sixteen miles. $540; twelve to fourteen miles. $504; ten to twelve miles, $468; eight to ten miles, $432; six to eight miles, $396. This is an increase all along the line from 9 to 24 per cent. o Father Benslnger arrived today from Hessel Castle and is the guest of Father Wilken. j

IAN INTERESTING ARTICLE Adams County is Now Unsurpassed in Well Built and Splendid Macadam Roads. Within one-half generation a dense wilderness has been transformed into a garden by the untiring efforts of in dustrious people. The trails of Indians and hunters have given way to roads for conveyances of every description. The record of this change is history. For seventy years the energetic people of Adams county, by their zeal and energy, have been maKing roads that are second to none. In August, 1794, Wayne's army passed through Adams county. Every old settler is acquainted with the “Wayne trail" or "Wayne trace.” It is the ancient landmark of the county and its permanence was caused by the slow advance of his aray. The second road in the county was made sometime after Wayne’s march and prior to 1818. It connected Ft. Wayne and Fort Recovery and angled through the county from southeast to northwest, passing over the present site of Decatur. Military supplies were transported over this road. •In 1833 the old Winchester state road, leading from Winchester to Ft. Wayne was laid out and opened. After the organiaztion of the county of Adams, Jan. 23, 1836, the governor. in conformity to law, issued a writ of election for the necessary county officers, the first Monday in April, 1836, at which time Jehu S. Rhea, Samuel Smith and Wm. Heath, Sr. were elected county commissioners in and for said county. This board met May 10, 1836 and transacted business pertaining to county affairs and appointment of road supervisors. The county had been previously organized in two civil townships. Root township, including the north quarter of the county and St. Marys including the south three quarters. It was ordered that Root township be divided in two road districts; to-wit, all of the township on the east side of the St. Marys river shall form road district number one and Johnathan Roe was appointed supervisor and all west of said river shall form district number two and William Ball was appointed supervisor. Ordered that St. Marys township be divided in two districts. All that part of the township which lies east of the St. Marys river shall form district number one and Esaias Dailey be appointed supervisor and all that part west of said river shall be district two, and Thomas Ruble be appointed supervisor. It was deemed necessary to have a “seat of justice" and four persons, Wm. Stewart, J. H. McMaken, Robert Hod and Wm. G. Johnson were appointed locating commissioners, met at the house of John Reynolds and notified the proprietors of town sites to hand in their proposals for the location of a seat of justice. After due deliberation the site offered by Thomas Johnson was permanently established as the county seat of the county of Adams, and thereupon proceeded to the town site marked a white oak tree about two feet in diameter with blazes on four sides on each of which the commissioners subscribed their name. Just as there are (or were recently) counties in new states where not a mile of road is to be found, so it was in Adams county at this time (with the exception of the “trails” heretofore mentioned), where neither railroad or highway nor even paths connected trading posts, and where distance was great it was out of the question for man to travel either in a wagon or on a horse, or on foot were it not for the old-time tavern. At this time vendors of liquors and groceries made their appearance and all were compelled to pay a license, also the proprietors of the taverns. Nearly every other house between Decatur and Ft. Wayne was a tavern, the following being the most popular: Evans, Oakland, Ashland, Middletown, Nine-Mile and Lily-House. The weary vender or homeseeker was glad to be sheltered for they could travel a whote day around a swamp and at night be within a stone’s throw front whence they started. Very frequently they would wade through the swamp rather than go around. On Feb. 6, 1837, Esaias Dailey road commissioner filed his report with the county offiicials and showed that he had received from the agent of the three per cent fund the sum of SIOOO, after which he proceeded to advertise the work to be done on the roads which he was directed by the board of commissioners to put under contract and proceed to sell the same to the lowest bidder. The following work was ordered to be done; to-wit, the cutting and clearing of the Manheim and Willshire state road and that part of the Richmond and Ft. Wayne state road as lies north of the town of Manhelm. The work was contracted for, for $412. The work of the Piqua and

Ft. Wayne state road was also put under contract. These were the first expenditures in Adams county on account for roads. The 27-mile-creek bridge was ordered constructed for $272.50, also the 17-mile-creek bridge for $99.50. March 7, 1837—two hundred dollars were appropriated out of the three per cent fund for a bridge across the principal channel of Boram's run or cottonwood swamp and the swail adjoining on the Richmond and Ft. Wayne state road. The said bridge to be constructed of large timbers so that the whole improvement shall reach across th eswamp and the rereach across the swamp and the reworst places shall be bridged. At this time two hundred dollars were appropriated to each state road, as there were several, but s»ace will not permit of mentioning each one. This money was to be expended for bridges over the principal streams, especially where mills were located. May 1, 1837, the first county road was ordered constructed where the Richmond and Ft. Wayne state road crosses the Wabash, thence to Simeon Rodgers at Miller’s prairie and thence to state line and John Cotterbin, Zachariah Smith and Esaias Dailey be appointed viewers. At this session all the timber was ordered removed from the Piqua and Ft. Wayne state road that lies in Adams county and I a bridge be built across the stream commonly known as McKnight s run, and one near Joseph Hill’s and one across the twenty-four-mile creek near Evans’. The said bridges be built in the form and manner in which the bridge is built near Alexander Smith s. May 3, 1837, the sum of six hundred dollars was appropriated out of the three per cent fund for the building of a bridge across the St. Marys river at the town of Decatur and Samuel L. Rugg procure a plan for the construction of the river bridge and be able to report at the next regular session. In September, 1837, proposals were received for the construction of said bridge, and on examination it was found that Enos N. Butler's proposal was the lowest, and was for S6OO. Upon consideration by the commissioners it was ordered constructed and completed according to plans July, 1838; but in May, 1838, It was ordered that the plans of this bridge be so modified as to admit of putting in ice breakers on the upper side of said bridge. From this time on, new county roads and changes in the state roads were petitioned for in avery marked degree. Jacob Huffer was the first surveyor of Adams county. An order was issued by the county for sl2 for payment in full for surveying the new county road in Wabash and John Cotterbein be allowed three dollars for three days’ service as viewer, Z. Smith be allowed four dollars for three days’ service and pay, J. Simison for chaining, Robert Simison be allowed sev-enty-five cents for carrying chain on said road one day and Theron Harper be allowed two dollars and twentyfive cents for blazing said road. From this time on new townships were organized and many county roads were petitioned and contracted for. We find the names of Benj. Blosson, Alex. Smith, Benj. Brittson, Geo. Dent, Joseph Hill, Ezekiel Hooper, Robert Fisher, Alvin Flagg. Robert Lord, H. Fuelling, Peter Studabaker. Elijah Skinner, Robert Tisdale, Morningstar and Andrew Wise as being the earliest petitioners and viewers. The records of the clerk, treasurer, auditor and all state and county roads were kept in one volume from the organization of said county from Jan. 1836, to Sept., 1845. On examination of the old records we find the following: In June, 1845, three viewers met at the home of Samuel Patterson and after being duly sworn proceeded to blaze and viw the location of a county road at a stake in the center of the Ft. Recovery and Decatur state road in Blue Creek township. The road was located for several miles and coming to a large swamp which they could not ride over, they examined the proposed route on foot. Some distance farther they found it impossible to proceed and they recommended the permanent location of said road changed and if said road be established in another direction to Goddard s mill, it will conduce to the benefit of the citizens who are residents of that section of the country. This is only one of many such incidents. The sturdy pioneers began to realize that rapid development of a newcountry was only possible through good roads. From 1850 to 1875 many old roads were vacated and new ones located along section lines and where they were of the greatest public util-

Cures Biliousness, Sick R Tl 7 *k? R Cleanses the system Headache, Sour Stem- II FT I N I] thoroughly and clears ach, Torpid Liver and W *** it W Eallow of Ch p r u. n »n^ st ; p X on - Laxative Fruit Syrup pi ", pl I e s 3 • * HOLTHOUSE DRUG COMPANY

ZA Beacon Light 5 Clothcraft is a genuine beacon F • lie ht. It p° ints out t 0 every man ~ to ' F you—real, genuine clothing comfort 'J —the kind that comes from wearing jjggt well made and perfectly fitting gar- Jf F ments possessing every F element of style and M durability. Ml - F Clothcraft Clothes UjU;'* ‘j j will bear the most thorough investigation and every wearer finds entire satisfaction in their F making and their dura- 4 Clothcraft Clothes excel not only in style, , JkViF fit and material but 'jF F in tailoring. They if flhar >3 z|F = have hand work—lots Ki ..-Jf of it—the collars show it, so do the button holes. It is the work that old E * j machinery or unskilled labor cannot do F FF and Is work that is to be found only E |||| // in Clothcraft Clothes. -‘J Remember the Clothcraft label is E|| ' F a guarantee—lt is your insur- 4 ance and our protection. £ But, with all the excellence of JEa' A CLOTHCRAFT, perfect system and thor- /Jp? j ough organization keep the prices low. Holthouse, Schulte & Co.

ity. In the year the Piqua road was planked from St. Marys, Ohio, to Ft. Wayne. It was constructed of 8 foot planks, laid crosswise on three stringers. It was built by a stock company. Some people invested nearly all they had and never realized one cent of dividend. Toll gates were stationed every 5 or 6 miles, requiring the users of the road to pay toll for the repair of said road. It was a beautiful road; but not very substantial, as by the close of the war it was nearly worn out. Another mode of improving roads in the fifties and sixties was by putting small logs crosswise of the roads. These roads were known as the corduroy roads. Some of the pieces of the logs of these roads are still found in excavations for improvements on newly constructed macadam roads. About the year 1883 the first gravel roads were constructed in the southern part of the county. This mode of .•oad impro’.-e.neat continues to the present time. In 1893 the first macadam road was constructed in Adams county of crushed rock. This road is known as the Decatur and Bluffton macadam road. The law requires each macadam road to be named; said names are usually derived from pioneers, cities or villages. The Decatur and Bluffton road is eleven and a fraction miles in length and was constructed at a cost of $34,950. At first the construction of macadam roads was strenuously opposed by the tax payers of the county; but not so at the present time, as there are fifty-three completed, seven or eight under construction and fifty petitions are on file at the auditor’s office waiting further action of the board of commissioners. There are 675 miles of public roads in said county; 101% miles are improved with gravel; 113% miles improved with crushed stone. The average cost of gravel roads per mile is $2,000 dollars. Average cost of macadam roads per mile is $3,200. The total cost of improved roads is $567,200. Thirty-three per cent of the roads are improved and at the present rapid progress, the per cent will be greatly increased. Unbiased visitors, in making tours across the state in automobiles, express themselves freely that they find splendid roads; but those traveled over in Adams county surpass any they have ever been on. Recently a government inspector paid this county a visit to gather facts concerning the road facilities for con- ■ tinuing rural route services. His report to the department states that Adams county has more good roads than any other the same size, in the United States. No wonder our tax rates have greatly increased and our

farm lands more than doubled in value during the past few years. Good roads are indicative of a high state of civilization. The improvement in the condition of the common highways proclaim, in mute yet unmistakable language, the advancement in the civilization of a county. Highly specialized industries, which usually attend upon a high state of civilization among a people, seldom flourish where means are unprovided for a quick exchange of commodities. As the standard of living in a community rises, it soon finds expression in a demand for better roads, roads suitable for the gentleman's saddle horse, for the family carriage, for the salesman’s road wagon, for the deliveryman's autocar, and for the pleasure seekers’ and tourists' auotmobiles. We are in a great wave of progress, and it pays both the merchant and the farmer to give the matter of road building much attention. Chas. Phillips returned last night from a business trip to Lima. Burt Nichols, of Jackson. Mich., was a business caller to our city today.

FARMS Bought Sold and Exchanged CALL OB WHITE O. GANDY CO. 205 West Berry St. FT. WAYNE. IND

Titon and Goliah These famous staJlions will stand the season of 1907 as follows: First 3 days of the week at Preble; l ast three days of week at the Conrad arm near Freidheim. Terms—sls.oo to Insure colt to stand and suck. August Conrad