Decatur Democrat, Volume 52, Number 16, Decatur, Adams County, 22 April 1909 — Page 1

rfc »>•* V t ‘ * ML TMC NEWS ALL Ttt TIME J . ■ ■ = - •

■■ ■ T TT

v ■■ •• **' l • j •■ s Rl[K WFDF DIIW VVIKI OPENED - Linn and Patton Were the Lowest Bidders for New City Hall I A COUNCIL SESSION ' Traction Company Must . Keep Winchester Street Open—Bills Allowed — ‘ Linn & Patton of thia city were the ’ lowest bidders on the contract ■ the erection of the new city hall, at the regular session of the council ’ held Tuesday night, when the blds ', were received as advertised, and to ’ that firm will probably go the honor - and profits which may accrue from the building of the handsome new home for the city officials as planned by Architect Oscar Hoffman. "There were five firms who wanted the jdb and there was only $856 between the high and low offers. As received the blds were as follows: ■' Everly & Wallace, Plymouth, Ind., Z 111,475; Fred Hoffman & Sons, Deoa- ■' tur, Ind., $11,298; D. I. Weikel, Decatur, Indiana, $10,696; Linn ft Patton, Decatur, Ind., $10,619; George Brew'- . * ster, Berne, Ind., $11,077. From • their bld Linn ft Patton also offered ' to reduce the bld SIOO If home brick can be used or obtained. Upon motion by Mr. Van Camp, the blds were - referred to the building committee, ' as same could not be awarded last / night as the bonds have not been - sold. The minutes of previous meet- ‘ Ings were read and approved. Cement sidewalks were ordered oonV- structed on the east side of Fourteenth street, Christen voting "ho” because he is not in favor of cement walks where there Is not a permanent grade. The purchasing commlt- * tee were authorized to confer with the street commissioner and to buy covers for manholes where neces- ' • sary. Frank Teeple complained be- ■ cause the traction company had ■ closed up Winchester street, preventing him from reaching the railroad ? ■ with his dray line and the marshal was ordered to .see that the east side of said street Is kept open and ‘ that temporary crossings are put in. Bills were allowed as follows: h"O- B. Wemhoff $ .75 J. Di. Hale 18.99 "H. Harruff 20.00 I-,’ ■ m —

J. E. MOSER WRITES AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM CUBA

R - J. E. Moser, the photographer of -this place,, who, with a party of capitalists from Fort Wayne and vicinity Is making a trip through the central part of Cuba, writes us most interestingly from Trinidad, under date of April 12, which dty the party £ reached that afternoon. They were .papering to leave there the following day on a twenty-two mile trip on horseback to a camp located on the 28,000 acre plantation on which the party hold an option, and where they will remain for a number of days, carefully investigating the tract as a business proposition. Mr. Moser says the trip from here to Cuba was i a pleasant one. They left Chicago, j going to Evansville, from there ILonglLong Key, and thence to ■ Knights Key, where they took the Ifhoat for Havana. They spent two, I’ days visiting the many interesting I* places In that city, a beautiful old B town, where they fully enjoyed the' I eating. The meals there are made up B chiefly of fruits, served in from six, 1 I to ten courses and closing with the ■ best coffee a man ever drank. From j ■ there the party crossed the Island I to Batabona, an Interesting trip by I rail. There they again took boat to I Casida Harbor, through the CarrlI bean sea. From the harbor to TrlnlI dad, four miles, was made by hack. I A peculiar feature of the trip across I the Carrlbean was that the water I ■ turned a white or milky color back of' I

ErW|iß

J, D. Bollinger . 89.40 Henry Peters ...../ 25.00 . Chicago ft Erie 250.70 General Electric W0rk5...... 53.55 Decatur Journal 8.90 | Standard Oil Co 11.21 F Electric Appliance Co. ...... 196.99 Sunday Creek Coal C 0...... 205.76 D. F. Teeple 68.51 Oscar Hoffman 300.00 » Bass Foundry 460.05 There being no other regular business and none proposed, the session adjourned at precisely eight o’clock. . . , ■ , ~ fl '■ ' » THE FAYLOR CASE Announcement of Date Causes Renewal of Interest at Bluffton j WHAT THEY SAY | 5 t ■■ -’r’ [ Plaintiffs Have 'Paid Over ’ $2,500 in Costs Up to this Time ’ ' The celebrated Faylor-Studabaker ‘ case, the suit'involving the ownership . of a big rarm northwest of this city, i will come to trial again for the fourth time, in the Adams circuit court at Decatur, on Monday, May 24th, and it . probably will require a week or more . of time. This will make the third trial of the case at Decatur, and fol- . lows' upon the reversal of the lower court and of the appellate court by [ the supreme court of the sate. The ; case has been bitterly fought for a . number of years and the costs of the i litigation are creeping up to a high , point. Since the case came back to ; Decatur for re-trlal the plaintiffs have i been obliged to pay about $2,500 in, accrued costs, to do which, the other big farm of the estate, lying West of the Lake Erie tracks and north of the Wabash was mortgaged. No matter how the case goes anotherappeal Is likely. The heirs of Catherine Faylor are seeking to have the deed to a farm set, aside, alleging Miss Faylor was of unsound mind.—Bluffton News.Judge Merryman, of Adams county, has set the time for the trial of the Studabaker-Faylor case, the date being May 24th. Local attorneys and other people who are Interested in the case, which was venued from this city, have been anxiously awaiting the' action of the judge in the matter, as they wish to know when the trial would be held. It Is stated by some of the Interested parties that It is doubtful If the case will be tried at the time set.—Bluffton Banner. . ! ,

t the boats, leaving a track that could . be seen for miles. Mr. Moser says r the habits of the natives are very strange, and he is seeing many new 1 and interesting sights. The party ' were to’spend the night at the home i of Mr. Garda, which to the best - palace in Trinidad and was built at * a cost of $60,000. He says that in I spite of the fact that this season in Cuba is equal to our autumn and everything at its worst, they have ■ plenty, of fruit and vegetables. The rainy season has not started yet, and the country appears like ours during a dusty August. With Mr.| Moser on this trip are Messrs. Harry Jones, Attorney A. J. I Vesey, Dr. Barnett, of Fort Wayne, ! and S. E. Gllne, of Lima, and Several others. The Cuban Land company as it is called have an option on a I , large tract of land there, which is I said to be rich in many products, and ! in which it is believed there is a 1 {future for those who buy it, remove i tlje timber and develop the land. This < ! party is a committee who will thor- 1 oughly investigate the proposition and i *if as represented they will purchase 1 the property outright and proceed 1 to remove the timber, which con* < sjsts of mahogany,red cedar And other < very valuable forests. Mr. Moser has promised to write again from the camp andhls report and the opinion < of the party will be awaited with J I interest by many who believe in the t ' future of the Island. .

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, April 21 l9op

;T0 TEST THE LAW l Suit in Supreme Court to J Test Constitutionality J Os Option Law THE /FIRST CASE . Saloonkeeper in Crawfords- • ville Sought to Enjoin Commissioners Indianapolis, 'April £l.—The first suit in which the constitutionality of the local option law iq Indiana Is under test, has reached the supreme , court. The case is that in which Charles F. Galey, a saloonkeeper of Crawfordsville, sought to enjoin the board of commissioners of Montgomery county from calling a local option election after petitions with a sufficient number of signatures had been presented. The sole contention of Galey is that the law passed at the special session of the legislature is , in conflict constitution of the state, and that when the court over- ’ ruled his application for a permanent . injunction against the commissioners ’ and the election was held the action ' was invalid. Since Galey filed his ’ suit the county has votfed "dry.’’ The complaint sefs up the cententlon that . the election was an expense to the , taxpayers of Montgomery county and ( that the county council had never . made a specific appropriation for that ( purpose. Later, however, the appro- | priation was made, and Galey filed , an amended complaint, setting forth ( only the alleged unconstitutionally of the law. One of the points raised ' by the petitioner Is that the,, local op- . tlon law is In conflict with Sec. 25, Art. 1 of the constitution, which he | quotes as follows! "No law shall be passed, the taking effect of which shall be made to depend upon any authority except as provided In the constitution." o TOHEADTHEPARTY Dr. Smith and Ed Koeneman Chaperoning the Visitors HOAGLAND BANK They Will Erect a Building and Begin Business ■ ' • at Once Dr. Smith, as president of the proposed Hoagland Ed S. Koeneman ohe of the directors, will head a party of the bank officials and stockholders who are coming in on the evening car .and will spend a few hours with the officials of the old Adams County bank. This conference is for the purpose of getting a few well defined pointers on the proper means and methods of organizing and conducting such an institution, and also for the purpose of inspect-'' Ing the bank here including the vault, which by the way, is one of the best in the country. As previously stated the JHoagland bank will begin business with a capital of $15,000, and as Hoagland is quite a good a good business point, and is surrounded by the best farming land and the best farmers anywhere, It should prosper from the start. H. Haley, representing the Debolt Safe and Lock company, of Canton, Ohio, will also be present at the meeting this evening, and will interest them In the means of keeping safe the funds intrusted to their care. At the meeting tonight the building committee would like to interview some of the contracors in the city with a view of erecting a new building which will be done at once. o— .... _ A crowd consisting of M. E. Brackett. C. C. Shafer, C. A. Dugan, Roy Archbold and L G. EHllngham went to Geneva this afternoon via the automobile course.

I RESIGNED AS REPRESENTATIVE W. 8. Haggard to Be Commandant at the Soldiers Home. J Indianapolis, April 21.—W. S. Haggard, of Lafayette, resigned as representative from Tippecanoe county in order to take up his duties May 1 as commandant of the state soldiers home, at Lafayette, to which place he , was elected several days ago. The resignation was tendered in person to Governor Marshall. Mr. Haggard does not contemplate any early - changes in the official force at the home, although he intimated that some changes might be made in time. “For the most part,’’ he said, "the institution is admirably managed, and the subordinates, for the most part, are capable. I shall not cross any bridges until I come to them.’’ r. - o :the first bets l —— 3 Local Option Election in r Delaware County is Red Hot i ' a THE MUNCIE STAR 3 _____ • ’ 3 ’ Lines Up With the Drys and ® Causes Much Comr ‘ i ment t * j Muncie, Ind., April 21.—The first 1 bets as to the outcome of the option r campaign in Delaware county were posted last evening on the cigar store j boards about the city. They were i few and small, and they were put up ’by the “wets” at even money. The * fact that the Muncie Star, the morning newspaper here, has in the last j few* S&a’s come out for the “drys” has 3 caused considerable (Comment. The 1 only other daily newspaper here, the r Evening Press, has refused to identify 5 itself with either faction. All kinds of “big guns” are to be fired by both sides this week, as the election comes r next Tuesday and the time is short. Almost every man of prominnee on either side that could be Induced to come here has been invited and every night there is to be a flood of oratory. One prominent church has been split up over the option campaign. Last Sunday the superintendent of the Sunday school in the church asked all teachers to join in the “dry’> demonstration next Sunday, and one of the oldest members of the congregation arose and objected tp any such request being made. It is said that two or three -of the Sunday school teachers have also refused to participate In any demonstration of the kind contemplated. Revised polls of the county are now being made. Each side is claiming the county by 2,000 majority, judged from the revision. Politicians who know the county well, say that a majority of 500 either way will be surprising. ———.—o-—— — NEW INDUSTRY FOR tiECATUR Fort Wayne Upholstering Company Establishes a Branch Hera. A new concern has been opened in this city, and while not large it will help. It is a branch of the Fort Wayne Upholstering company' which has begun business In the Moser block just north of Will Wlnnes’ laundry. They are prepared to do all kinds of work’in their line and will make awnings, window shades, etc., to order. Os course their specialty is the re-upholstering of parlor suits. If you have anything in their line they will be pleased to have you call on them. o. CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS At Calvary church Sunday school at 9:30; preaching by the pastor at .19:30, subject “The safeguards of the American home.” At Salem church, Sunday school at 9:30 a. m.; the Young People’s Alliance at 6:30 p. m., the leader being Mr.. Jacob Koos and the subject "Heroes of the African Mlbsloq." Preaching services at 7:30 p. m. from the text, "The Worth of Kindness." To each and all of these meetings the public and all who are Interested In the work are most cordially Invited. Rev. E. Roop, Pastor.

; ARE COMING SLOW . The Payment of Taxes Not K Making Very Rapid J Progress 8 * . e ! OPEN AT NIGHT i F- ,« ‘S' r- - ■ 8 But Ten Days Remain for Payment Without the Penalty t B \ Treasurer Lachot is somewhat downcast and discouraged because the i spring installment of taxes are not I showing a better ratio' of payment. Four or five thousand dollars a day is slow work' for this season of the 1 taxpaying time, when but another week remains in which to close the book and add the penalty. The office is open in the evening until eight o’clock, but up to date there were but few who took advantage of the op- ’ porunity of paying taxes after the regular business hours. We are of the opinion, however, that the grand | rush will soon set in, and then you will hear but little complaint from the treasurer’s office. Under the exr cellent system now in use, many more people can be waited upon, and delay of any moment is almost unnecessary. In the good old days a hundred peot pie would be lined up during the i closing days, and then if you did not b get In early it would take the greater 5 part of a day to pay your mite toward the maintainance of the state and ’ county governments. All this is now > but the remembrance of a past. How--3 ever, it may be well to remind our . readers that but ten more days ret main In which you can your taxes without the penalty added. The 3 treasurer’s office is open from seven In the morning until eight in the 3 evening, and Treasurer Lachot and r his assistants will be glad to wait 5 on you at Any time you may care to i call. ' I ■ o o . Many people have begun rolling i their* lawns and cleaning out the bad > looking places, all of which shows - that some people have confidence and f that spring time, gentle Annie, is on ; the way. The most important move of the ■ city council at its regular meeting > Monday evening was the instructing i of City Engineer Griffith to prepare • plans and specifications for the pav- ' ing with bitulithic compound, several ■ alleys in the business portion of the city.—Portland Sun. k .■ ■ ■! ■■■* II 1

s " ' "T"-"-,' 1 ? .. : MONMOUTH, SMALLEST STILL OLDEST TOWN IN THE COUNTY

r ...... -j - ’ ... - ' ’a Although its population and other evidences of progress in a business way would not suggest it, Monmouth has a significance in the passing his--j tory unparalelled within the bounds of the county. Monmouth is the oldest town in Adams county, and at one time was the busiest. During the early history when stage coaches were driven from St. Marys, Ohio, through Monmouth to Fort Wayne, Monmouth was a thriving village. The stage drivers kept their supply of horses there and the business interests of the town consisted of a saddJery And • cabinet shop, blacksmith shop, wagon \shop, shoe store, grocery store and a hattery, the latter being conducted by Jacob Airten. About the first man to settle in MonmOuth was Ben Lewis, a negro, who lived there for a number of years. Other early settlers were Calvin and Z. Dorwln, Ben Knavel, Martin Lord, Judge and Josiah Randel. Mr. Lord has' lived in the village for more than seventy-one years, and he has{ enjoyed it immensely. Other early settlers still living are Martha Dutch-' er and Samuel Kunkle. Many of the ‘ people of the county are not aware that Monmouth was a possibility for the county seat and the vote taken to decide whether Decatur or Monmouth would get it, resulted in a victory for the former, but only by a'few votes. The town at the present time has

CIRCULATION r 2800 WEEKLY

I BALL SCORES REITER ft FRANCE’S One of the many newfeatures put on at the cigar store of Reiter & France is the daily receipt of the baM scores. They will have them some time between six and seven o’clock and every one is welcome. The boys are doing several stunts that put them in the hustling, up-to-date class, and they will make a big success of the , business they have undertaken. They will receive these scores all during the ball season. —o > DRAWING PLANS Oscar Hoffman Making Plans for New K. P. I Home and Club House TO BE BUILT AT ONCE It Will Be of Modem Brick and a Handsome Lodge Home Architct Oscar Hoffman is now busy on plans for the club house and lodge room for the Knights of Pythias lodge contract having been entered into with him by the building committee. The new building will be a handsome structure of brick, modern and beautiful in every way. On the first floor there will a ladies parlor, gent’s parlor, smoking room and dining room. On the second floor will be the lodge room, and a billiard room with balcony. In the basement will be gymnasium and bowling. It will be heated with steam and complete in every way, and is estimated to cost ten thousand dollars. It Is the intention of the building committee to rush this work and to have same complete and ready to open some time In the late fall. The committee have advertised an auction of the old building on their lot just north of the Murray hotel, and where the new club house and lodge room will be built. This auction sale will be at ten o’clock on Friday, April 30, which is Friday of next week. The Knights are a genuine lot of hustlers, and will have the finest lodge and club house of any order in this section of the country. Decatur welcomes this enterprising society to the boosters club, and recommends their good judgment to the many other Secret orders in the ‘city. 0 Initiation and drill work made the meeting of the Royal Neighbors last night important and impressive. Several more will soon go into the lodge.

a store and a blacksmith shop and five new houses have been built the ! past two years by the following: Ed | Lewton, George Schieferstein, Henry I Magley, Sam Magley, J. C. Magley and M. Mairhenke. The population consists mostly of retired farmers. A newspaper was at one time published in Monmouth, Mr. Randell being the proprietor, and the sheet was said to be very interesting. The Monmouth hotel also did a good business in those days and the building irr which it was located is the oldest building in Monmouth, it being occupied at the present time by Martin Lord and family. The establishment of the rural mall carriers system a few years ago robbed the village of the most valuable asset she possessed in her declining days, the postoffice, but the citizens are content to take life as it comes without a murmur. Some very prominent people have been reared in Monmouth, and to many the little village is held near and dear. | Notwithstanding the .small population of the town, there are a class {of farmers residing in that vicinity who are among the most progressive in .the county. The land is very fertile and has been well cultivated by the enterprising residents, who were not lacking in enterprise and skill, but who have converted every possible and honorable meads in attaining the recognition they have long since enjoyed.

Number 16