Decatur Democrat, Volume 51, Number 21, Decatur, Adams County, 25 July 1907 — Page 2

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HAD BEEN ILL SEVERAL WEEKS Typhoid Fever Was Followed by Appendicitis and Other Complies-* tions Which Caused Death. Dottie May, the seventeen-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Uriah E. Cramer, who reside in the south part of the city, died Thursday night at 5 o’clock, death resulting from the shock following an operation for the relief of a strangulated bowel, which was due to chronic appendicitis, and contributory to an attack of typhoid fever. The young lady had just recovered from a long seige of tpphoid fever when she was seized with an attack of appendicitis, which resulted in a strangulation of the bowels. An operation was performed Thursday morning at nine o’clock and at five o’clock the same afternoon death relieved her from further suffering, her constitution being unable to withstand the terrible shock. She was a bright young lady being popular among her associates, and was just blossoming into womnhood when the grim reaper claimed his reward. She was a member of the Evangelical church, being an earnest and devoted Christian, and her many kind acts and deeds will be sadly missed by those who came in dose touch with her. She was a student in the public schools, and was held in high esteem by her class mates and ranked at the head of all her classes. Her untimely death has cast a gloom over the entire community, and she will not only be missed by her grief stricken parents, but will* be missed by her many young friends. The funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at four o’clock at the Evangelical church, Rev. A. B. Haist officiating, and interment will be made in the Decatur cemetery. o— AFFAIRS AT DR. HURTY’S OFFICE More Requests for Sanitary Inspection of School Houses—Hurty Secures Another Recognition. T" Indianapolis, July 19. —Owing to the increased demand for water analyses, the state board of health has employed a special water analyst, J. C. Hindman, of this city. “Though the state will make these analyses free, the applications for such analyses must be made, and the proper blanks filled out,” said Dr. J. N. Hurty, secretary to the board. “These samples must be sent to the laboratory in the regular containers probided, and thsse asking for the analyses must pay the expressage on the containers from the laboratory and back. For the analyses itself there is no charge.” ( Dr. Hurty has received more requests for the sanitary inspection of school houses, and he thinks the patrons of the schools are becoming awakened to the necessity for sanitary environment for their children. Patrons of the schools at Kempton, Tipton county; Terhune, Boone county, and district No. 2, Pike Creek townjslfl.p, Mjadisdp county, settit letters today asking for inspections. “The opposition to condemnation proceedings, always existent, comes from the advisory board, generally,” said Dr. Hurty. “They want to make a record of what they call economy. The people, however, are getting to prefer sanitary surroundings to this so-called economy.’ Dr. Hurty has been appointed vice president of the International Tuberculosis congress, that is to meet in Washington, D. C., in September, 1908. The appointment was made by the president of the association, Surgeon General Wilter Wyman, of the United States* public health and marine hospital service. Thffi congress has met in Europe several times, but the Washington ineeting next year will be the first one to be held in the United States. o Ossian quotes butter at 20 cents, eggs at 14 cents, wheat at 88 cents. Perhaps the demand is greater there than here.

CONCERNING FERTILIZER PLANT Deny That it is Unsanitary and Offer Some Evidence to Substantiate Their Claims. There are two sides to every story. Yesterday we published an article of news telling of the visit of a number of farmers from north of town to the city council asking them to remove the fertilizer plant, located on the Coverdale farm. They stated that the plant was a nuisance, and that the odor emitted therefrom was beyond endurance. The proprietors of the concern, Kalver and Hurst, deny the statements made, and say that the effort to remove the plant is pure spite work. As proof of their side of the story they offer the evidence of Dr. Hurty, of the state board of health, also Dr. Miller of the county board of health, that such plants are of benefit to a communty. Several farmers were interviewed this morning, also several Decatur citizens, who had visited the plant, and who inform us that the odor therefrom cannot be detected ten feet away. Mr. Kalver says the plant is the most sanitary of any in Indiana, and has been so pronounced by every buyer who has inspected same. In some way or other a report gained circulation that the plant will close, and Kalver and Hurst ask us to state that they} are still operating, and expect to continue to do so. They will, however, meet any necessary requirement of the law. The Democrat desires to be fair and therefor print this side of the story. o ' , BOTH TESTATORS FROM PREBLE Affidavit Filed In Juvenile Court Charging Four Boys With Stealing Turnips. The last will and testament of Charles Koeneman, of Preble township was probated, Friday mpmlng. He provides that his wife reside on the old home farm during her life and that she be supported by her son Otto He bequeaths the old Mangold farm of 120 acres, to his son Carl, and the home farm, 88 acres, to Otto. The other children, Bustave, Martha and Clara, receive their share in’ cash from these two brothers. The will was written November 17, 1906, and witnessed by Fred Koeneman and William Schaekel. The will of Frederick Scherry, of Preble township, written March 21st last, and witnessed by C. S. Niblick and M. Kirsch, was probated at the clerk’s office. After providing for the payment of all debts he bequeaths all his property, personal and real, to his wife Emilie, who is also named as administratrix. Mary Steele has filed an affidavit with Prosecutor Heller, for action in the juvenile court, charging that 'Charles Straub, Babe McClure, Alonzo Hooker and Henry Evans did on July 17, 1907, enter upon the lands of one Williard Steele, and then and there unlawfully taking and carrying away fifty turnips of the value of i twenty-five cents. Action will be taken as soon as the September term of , court convenes. L Mrs. Christina Mackey, living east of Ossian, met with a painful accident Sunday while visiting at the home of Thomas Niblick, near Decatur. The lady fell down stairs breaking a bone in her right hand and painfully injur- ’ ing her left and bruising other parts of her body. A Decatur doctor was ’ called to reduce the fracture. Mrs. 1 Mackey was able to be brought home Monday.—Ossian News. — ot . Here is Relief for Women. I If you have pains in the back, Urinary, Bladder or Kidney trouble, and want a certain, pleasant, herb cure for woman’s ills, try Mother Gray’s , Australian Leaf. It is safe and never . falling monthly regulator. At Druggists or by mail 50 cents. Sample package FREE. Address, The Mother Gray Co., Leßoy, N. Y.

History of Adams ( By Ladies’ 1 The subject of the first public buildings in a county Is, of necessity, rather dry and uninteresting, because of the fact that these buildings must be crude structures In keeping with the architecture of the primitive homes of the pioneers. These homes were usually one or two room cabins, constructed from the trees felled to make a clearing for the site of the cabins, and for the raising of grain and vegetables for the sustenance of the family. When these families had multiplied sufficiently to form a community, thought must be taken for the education of the children and the log schoolhouse, with its scant furnishings was the outcome. As we are in this paper especially concerned with Decatur, it is pertinent to mention In this connection the first school house. It was a one room structure made of round logs and stood on the back end of the lot on which the building known as Noah’s Ark now stands. How long it was used for a school house could not be ascertained. The second, was a frame building and stood directly across the street from the James Niblick residence, on the corner-facing west. The next school building was that pow used as a seed store by J. D. Hale, and was moved from the site to make room for the present central school. Among the first records of the commissioners of Adams county,' were those of license granted to different individuals for a stated sum permitting them to sell “domestic and foreign merchandise, wooden clocks and spiritous and strong liquors,” as a result of this latter privilege it was not long until John Doe and Richard Roe and others of like ilk began to "beat and abuse the body of each other and expressed a willingness so to do.” (P. 24, Book A.) and the next thing on the program was the building of a jail in which to incarcerate these obstreperous individuals. Early in the history of the county (May, 1836), one Thomas Johnson generously proposed to donate $3,000 to the commissioners for the use of the county, also four lots for churches, one half acre for public square, one acre for county seminary and a piece of land not to exceed two acres for a graveyard, and also to furnish a house to hold court in at the spring term of the year 1837, and until the public buildings are erected. Jehu and Robert Rhea donated to the county twenty acres off the west end of an eighty-acre lot “in consideration that the committeemen will locate the county seat at the site donated by Thomas Johnson on the St.' Marys river.” Samuel Rugg on the same date donated ten acres adjoining the land on the north on which the towijL site donated by Thomas Johnson is located. Os course, all of these donations were accepted and at the meeting of the commissioners, June 20th, 1836, it was “ordered that notice be given for the letting of the contract for building a jail in Adams county at the town of Decatur, so be completed by the Ist of July, 1837.” January 11th, 1837 it was “ordered that the jail be built on the southwesterly corner of the public square withia twelve feet of the line of Third and Court streets.” The writer has been unable to find any description of this jail in the county records, but Ex-Sher-iff Krick says it was built of logs, the outside walls composed of three thicknesses, the middle layer being perpendicular and the outside and inside layer being horizontal. At an extra session of the commissioner's, July 27, 1837, it was “ordered that the sum of $350 be paid the contractors, David McKnight and Wm. Lewis, or their order, for building said jail.” “The board, after being released by the original contractors, gave Basil Browning an order for S3OO for completing the county jail which was built according to contract on the southwest comer of the public square.”, This is the first public building mentioned in the commissioner's’ reports of Adams county. At the session of May Bth, 1839, it was “ordered that John Reynolds and Samuel L. Rugg be authorized to build a court house on lot 94 in the town of Decatur, which shall be a framed house of good materials and 30x40 feet square and two stories high, the lower story or room to be left whole without any petitions, and the upper story divided into rooms to accommodate the grand and petit jury and that they convey said lot to the county by its proper agent for which lot tirey shall be allowed the sum of fifty dollars, the cost of which, together with the cost of building the house, shall be paid out of the donation soon to become due from John Reynolds and amuel L. Rugg • • • the building shall be completed by the October term of the Adams county court, if possible. The weatherboarding on the two sides next the street shall be planed.” The first recorded meeting of the commissioners in the new court house was at the May session, 1840, but it was not until the June session, 1841, J that the final acceptance of and set-

Ck Public Buildings Historical Club. tlemept for it was made. In this record it was “ordered that John Reynolds and Samuel L. Rugg be allowed the sum of $1,724 in full for the building and furnishing the court house and the sum of SSO for the lot on which it stands. This was payable out of the donation due the county from them.” “The furnishings hinted at above consisted of IS chairs for the court house and six chairs ior the clerk’s office, one clerk’s desk, two tables, one for each jury room, one attorneys’ table, one Franklin stove and pipe, one broqm and eight candlesticks.” At the June session, 1841, it was “ordered that John Reynolds and Samuel L. Rugg be authorized to build a jailor’s house on the public square adjoining the jail so as to cover the entrance into the jail on the north and build Into the jail on 'the same 22x32 feet and to partition the same In the middle, with a clothes press and recess for bed In one end of the north room and a chimney in the middle with two fireplaces therein, the building to be high enough to have the roof cover the jail door and finish the same in a good and workmanlike manner, and of good materials and make therein at least five fifteen light windows and the repairs to the jail to be a stove set in one room of the jailor’s house and the pipe adjusted so as to pass through the lower room of the jail and out at the roof except a brick top from the garret floor and to fix a small drum at the lower end so as to better warm the room ♦ ♦ • pickets were to bg set under the floor of the jail the same to be set three feet in the ground and the top of the floor to be covered with sheet-iron and nailed with four penny nails in a permanent manner, the same to be completed by the Ist of April, 1842.” On the second day of December a contract was entered into with Joseph L. Eyanson for a building for the county officers, namely, Clerk, Auditor, Recorder and Treasurer. The contract called for a building to consist of four public offices adjoining each other 18x68 feet on the northeast corner of the public square, the length way of the building to run on Second street. The building was to be of brick construction four rooms of equal .size partition walls to be of brick, 8 inches in thickness, the outside wall to be 12 inches thick • ♦ • the floors to be of brick laid in sand or leached ashes, 10 feet space between the brick floor and the pastering ov- • erhead or what is commonly called 10 feet room, 2 windows of 24 lights ■ each, in each room, exactly opposit ( each other, in the center of each room. One door in each room near the end, or partition wall, except the north room, which is to have two doors, one in front and one at the northwest corner. • • • The roof to be in the usual form, sloping each way and covered with good, sound, inch oak boards, and those covered with heavy shpet-tln. • ♦ * The doors to be constructed of double stuff, crossing each in an angling position, and the same to be covered with sheet-iron on the outside so that no part of it can be attacked by Are, the window shutters to be .covered with sheet-iron, and to be so constructed as to fasten inside. A good lock to be put on each door and of four different kinds, so that one key will not open any lock but its own.” There were to be two coats of plaster and two chimneys. The glass for the windows to be Bxlo inches, all to be finished in neat, strong, and suitable manner and workmanlike style, on or before December 1, 1846. • For this building, when completed, the commissioners were to pay the said Joseph L. Eyanson, the sum of eleven hundred and sixty dollars in county orders. On March 11, 1853, an addition to the clerk’s office was ordered built for the accommodation of the public business, said building to be located on the west side of the clerk’s office, td be of brick, 16x20 feet square, one story high and to be fireproofentire. Samuel L. Rugg agreed with the board to put up the building for the sum of S2OO. On March 6, 1868, the following unique record is made, verbatim et literatim: .“Petition for right to build Waggon Shed. E. P. Stoops vs. Adams county. To the Honorable the Board of Commissioners of Adams county. I, the undersigned agent for the Silver Band of Decatur, would represent that we are in want of a piece of ground to build a waggon shed to preserve the Band'Waggon and ask your Honorable body to grant us the privilege of building a shed for that purpose bn the west end of the court house lot. It is, therefore ordered that the Silver Band can have the use of the west end of the court house lot for the above purpose to remain no limited length of time.” On March 13, 1872, the Board of Commissioners entered into contract with Christian Roseker et al for the sum of SBO,OOO for the building of a new court house, the plans and specifications for which are recorded in

Book F, but they would occupy too i much space in this paper and would not be of sufficient interest to transcribe them. While the contract was for SBO,OOO, the cost was much above that, but the exact cost is not given. It is built of Philadelphia pressed brick, Berea sandstone and iron, the hall floors being of marble. It Is two stories high with mansard roof. The building is 70x120 feet in dimensions, with a tower nearly 160 feet from basement. It has been somewhat remodeled within the past few years. It is surrounded by a beautiful lawn and altogether is an ornament and qgedit to our city. It was built in 1873. The old court house was moved to First street. In October, 1883, the contract for the building of a new county jail and sheriff’s residence was let to J. Allright Christian, for the sum of $25,300, the building to be completed op or before the Ist day of December, 1884. The building is beautiful and commodious, surrounded by well-kept ground? and is located on Market street Two and one-half miles south-east of Decatur is the 200-acre farm purchase forth& use of the dependent poor of Adams county. The first infirmary building was of frame and was built at a cost of $2,000. The present commodious structure was built in 1904 at a cost of $35,000. It is of brick and is well arranged-for its purpose as a home for the dependents and a comfortable residence for the superintendent. School Buildings. In addition to the Central school building of Decatur, mentioned elsewhere, there are three fine brick ward public schools, two large brick Catholic school houses to which additions are now being constructed, one an addition to the day school, the other to be used as an Academy of Music. The German Lutheran and the German Reformed churches of Decatur have each a parochial school attached. There are in the county 99 public school houses and 7 parochial schools. As this paper is growing so voluminous only here mention can be made of the school buildings of Monroe, Berne and Geneva. The first and only school house at Monroe was a two-room brick structure built in 1887. It was used for fifteen years, when it was found to be too small and was remodeled and enlarged in 1902. This three-room building is still in use. The first school house in Berne was buiit before Berne was in existence in 1856. It was of roung logs in the northwest part of the town, where it still stands. In 1879 the first school house of Berne now a part of the Mission church, on Jefferson street, was built. It served the village for nine years as a school house. In 1888 the incorporated town of Berne built its own first school house, a two-room 'brick structure, now comprising the northwest quarter of the present building. In the summer of 1892 the building was enlarged to its present proportions, six rooms being used for class rooms and the upstairs east half for' a hall, which has been converted into two class rooms, making eight in all, and now all occupied. The entire basement is occupied with steam heating furnace room and sanitary closets. The first school house at Geneva was built at the northeast corner of section 20, near Ceylon. In 1872 a frame building was erected, but soon became too small to accommodate the growing population. In 1878 a twostory brick building was erected at a cost of $3,500, which was destroyed by fire in 1904. A magnificent $20,000 brick structure has replaced the burned building. Churches. As a previous paper described the chsrch buildings of Decatur, and as it has not been found possible to sesure a description of those outside of this city, just the number of the 1 church buildings of each denomination ' in the county will te recorded, baptist, 2; Catholic, 3; Christian (Disciples), 5; Christian (New Light), 1; Evangelical, 5; Lutheran (English), 1; ! Lutheran (German), 6; Mennonite, 1; ' Mennonite (Defenseless), 1; Methodist Episcopal, 12; Presbyterian, 1; Reformed, 5; United Brethren, 8. It ■ is hoped that at some time in the near future a history of the public build- ' ings of the towns of Adams county ■ that have been omitted in these papers may find a place in an addendum. The Decatur Public Library. The latest and most beautiful and attractive public building is that of the Decatur public library. The his- 1 tory of its inception and- gradual i growth and completion ought to be 1 preserved. For years the ladies : Shakespeare club and the Historlal ' Reading club of Decatur had discussed 1 ways and means by which the general : public might be able to have the bene- 1 fit of a public library and reading 1 room or at least, some centrally lo- . cated, quiet, decent, meeting place, 1 for reading and for the free discussion j of the topics of the day and of the ’ things that would interest and benefit, i at least the young people of our city. < Before they had been able to reach the 1 materialization of their hopes, the I Carnegie libraries began to spring into 1 existence. In the year 1893 certain 1 club members and the board Os edu- 1

cation of which Mr. George Woodward was president, began discussing/ the prospects of securing a Cfrnegie library for our city. Mr. Woodward became very enthusiastic and until his death was the moving ryi it in the matter which was fairly main ed in their minds at his decna e. In July, 1904, a public library be u 1 was f.rjaed, consisting of Rev. E. A. A len, Pres., Sara Y. Kenyon VioPres., Atty. C. J Lutz, Secy., E X. ELinger, Treas., with Mesdames Morri on and Ellingham and Mr: 7 C Corbett, member*. On October 21, 1904. a donation of SIO,OOO was secured from Mr. Andrew Carnegie to: a library building, which was increased to $12.000 on June 8, l®os. A lot on Third street was purchased and deeded to the city of Decatur, and active operations began. Plans and specifications submitted and those of the young architect, Oscar Huffman, were accepted. Mann and Christen were awarded the building contract; P. J. Hyland that of steam heating; W. G. Spencer the electrical work; A. B. Smith and Brother, the plumbing; Kover and Son, frescoing, and P. Gaffer, painting. Under the judicious oversight of the library board, which held weekly meetings for consultation, everything was kept moving and all unnecessary expenditures were eliminated. Nothing but the most approved material was used in any department, and the result is a most beautiful, economical, up to date building graces the lot on Third street that supplies a need long recognized by the intelligent members of the community and is an ornament to our city of which every citizens should be justly proud. The building was dedicated and presented to the city with appropriate ceremonies on July 19, 1906. Under the careful and efficient management of the librarian, Miss Annette Moses, the reading public is faithfully served. The daily readers and the number of books borrowed show a genuine appreciation of the privileges furnished. All of the leading magazine? and many of the best dailies are on the tables. Through the courtesy of contractor C. N. Christen and Treasurer E. X. Ehinger, a full description of the building and an itemized account of the expenses are here appended. The Library Building. By C. N. Christen, Contractor. The library building is constructed about as follows: Concrete foundation upon to water table. Exterior face, gray hydraulic pressed brick, trimmed with Bedford oolithic lime stone; galvanized iron cornice; asphaltum gravel roof; blue Bedford stone steps and coping; gypsum wall plaster. First floor finished in southern pine, stained, and varnished to a dark oak finish. Second floor finished with best quartered white oak finish, stained and varnished in English oak finish. The first floor is divided into the following rooms: Auditorium, with stage, council room; packing a ladies’ club room; toilet rooms and back stairway. Second floor divided as follows: Vestibule, two large reading rooms, reference room, librarians’ room, delivering room and toilet rooms. The facade is embellished by four large Bedford stone columns, over which is a large pediment which gives the building a very pleasing appearance. The building is heated by low pressure steam system from a furnace situated in the basement, and is lighted by electricity furnished by the city electric plant. The second floor is beautifully frescoed and everything is in modern style. Expenses of' library lot, building and furnishing: Lot $2,350.00 Less house and barn. 387.00 Net cost 10t...51,963.00 Building ( 10,041.00 Sidewalks 73.84 Tables .. 159.50 Frescoing 248.75 Painting 32.04 Lawn 14.60 Screens . 14.64 Chairs 248.58 Desks 97.35 Stacks ■... 250.00 Architecture . .7.. 260.00 Plumbing 234.70 Heating 1,124.13 Electric wiring and fixtures 300.90 < $15,051.09 Rapid Transit. The exact time when the first pub ic transit was established in .Ad -.m* co tnty cannot be ascertained, but ear ->■ in its history the four-horse 'tig? with its “winding horn” was run bit <een Decatur and Ft. Wayne fcr tfie conveyance of passengers and It J* is worth mentioning also that before and-during the war a regular “ ..agonline” was conducted between these two points, owned and operated by John King and William Gib on, who for a number of years carri- d the surplus produce from Decatur o Ft. Wayne and were also entrusted with many valuable packages to the soldiers families from the “boys” at the front. These jvere sent by express to Ft. Wayne and then forwarded'by thir line to their final destination, and it is noted that there were no failures to deliver.