Democratic Press, Volume 1, Number 6, Decatur, Adams County, 22 November 1894 — Page 1

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.

VOLUME 1

Chief Justice of the Peace Martin Van Buren Simcoke, of Monroe township, wiled away a few minutes in our sanctum last Tuesday evening. Come again, ’Squire. The grand jury seems to be doing a land office business since convening at their old stand last week. A number of witnesses have testified and in all things are moving along smoothly. Judge Dailey of Bluffton, has announced his intention of settling in Bluffton and engaging in the prae tice of law, when he finishes his term on the supreme bench of the state. The Judge has friends here by the acre who will wish him all the success ami prosperity on the bills. In answer to the question: “What is home without a newspaper!” an exchange says: “It is a place where hats are stuffed into the window panes, w here the children are like young pigs, the wife like a savage, and the husband with a panorama of a dismal swamp painted on his shirt bosom with tobacco juice.” The doors of the cozy home of Mr. and Mrs. John Weishaupt were thrown off their hinges last night, and some two dozen of their friends were welcomed therein. Dancing, cards and refresh merits were each given a welcome t at all enjoyed to perfection. It was a pleasant evening, for which much credit is besto'ed upon the host and hostess. The city council should make a call on the officials o'the C. & E. railroad for a watchman to be stationed at the crossing of that road on Winchester street, for the pro tection of life ami limb of those who travel this thoroughfare. Scarcely a day passes by that wedon't hear of this neglect of duty on the part of the railroad company, ami we there fore make mention of the fact to our city fathers, that it may be attended to at once. John Yager—not our big John—is in jail, under a charge of burglarly, the indictment being re turned last Saturday afternoon. The amount of the theft consisted of two dozen whips valued at $5, the same being taken from a freight car standing on the Chicago & Erie side tracks, all of which was against the peace anti dignity of the state. The court fixed his bond at S3OO, which was furnished by a number of our best citizens going thereon. TalK about the insufficiency of gas now if you want to, but a display of 'wheels’ is surely evident when you do. Five new wells were put into use the first of the week, and those five wells are said to furnish more gas than the sixteen old wells that have been furnishing the patrons of the Trenton Kock Mining Co. with the natural fluid. One of them tests a 350 pound pressure and another 250. Talk about burning wood, well, we guess “nit.” This gas company now owns the best wells in the belt, and will be able to supply their patrons with gas in quantities to suit. Ed Young and Dell Smith, two all round sports from Toledo, were here last week bagging such game as came within range of their fowling pieces; sixty quail, two pheasiants, two woodcock and fifteen tab bits was the number and variety ■taken away from here to their [home in Toledo. Os course Dell femith will tell his frie ids in Toledo What he done it ail when in reality be is credited with killing only one jtiinl; for which Charley Moibers land Johnny 7 Smith, whose gussts they were, will testify. The boys tad considerable sport ami made many friends while here, who wish a return of their presence whenever time will p rmit. ■ John M. Frisinger and George Kiiittle returned home last Sunday from the wilds of Michigan, where they have been'since Nov. 6, killing deer and other game of the forest. John reports having killed two deer—buck and doe—while there, and some of the other boys had done as well, makingthe num bei k lied and hung up in camp at eight. The boys will all return hon e by tomorrow or next day, but whether all < r any ot their kill ing will reach Adams county is hard to sav, as the penalty for killing and taking out of the state of Mich igan any deer, bear or game of that description is SSO. We will wager even money, however, that Horace Porter won t leave any juicy deer meet in Michigan, and have his friends in Decatur content with beef steak and sich.

i Mrs. Elizabeth Heidenan, of the • German Settlement, returned home ‘ from Fort Wayne last Monday, where she has been since October 15th as the guest of her daughter, Mrs. Herman Beuter. Bran new brick side walks are . leing put down in front of Els- • w rth Meyers & Co.’s hardware ; store and Sheiffer’s blacksmith shop, and when the one in front of J thisoffice is completed, the northern , suburb will surely look upward several notches. The people down j in this corner are fine as silk any- , way, but they are bound toimprove. ■ Cal. D. Kunkle of Monmouth, I made his semi annual remittance ■ to our larder last Friday, when he { sent us a half dozen nicely dressed : young quail. This habit of remembering ns in this very toothsome i way has been of such long duration , that we begin to think that it is our turn to say something, which . we will hereunto affix by saying: i “Many thanks, Mr. Cal.” ' Charles A. Russ, a commercial i 1 traveler, has just been awarded a verdict of $2,500 damages against f the Jeffersonville, Madison & In- . dianapolis railroad, on account of being put off the train at Jefferson- ; ville for '■ome trivial cause. This , ease will be of interest to traveling , men the country over, who want! , to assert some privileges while in the hands of the railioad companies. 1 Lew Mason was here from Geneva last .Saturday, filing his bond as i constable of Wabash township. That document contained the names of 11. M. Aspy and A. G. Briggs, and is worth a thousand times the face value of the bond. Lew is a > democrat and really wouldn't need to furnish bond, but as evidence of ’ good faith it went on record and : now the sinners in that neck o' the woods want to look out. ' Joshua M. Lister, brother of Ezra Lister, died at the Soldier’s Home, Marion, last Monday morn- • ing, of consumption. Deceased was ■ well and favorably known by many of the old citizens hereabouts, having resided here in his boyhood days. During the war he was a , member of Company G, Eleventh Indiana Cavalry, ami performed ■ some very efficient service to his country as scout and soldier. His remains were buried in the Odd Fellows cemetery at Dunkirk, Jay ■ county. Mark Hotsenpiller, who formerly ' lived east of Geneva, but has been a resident of Portland for the last year, was badly hurt Wednesday '{while working in the butter tub factory. He was running a truss j machine and the heavy weight instead of catching when it went up, 1 slipped and fell, catching Hotsen piller’s arm crushing it. B th the hones in his fore-arm were mangled ■ from the wrist to the elbow. Amputation may be necessary. * This is a sad blow to Mr. Hotsenpiller ■ who has always been a hard work- ' ing man. —Geneva Herald. Do you want to be a soldier and wear a wooden leg, so from your > dear old coinrads tobacco you can ■ beg. It seems that there are ten ■ vacancies at present in the Eighth United States Cavalry which is to be kept recruited from this state, and in time, no doubt, we can look upon this part of the United States . array as our own. Lieutenant Davis of Fort Wayne, is now ad vertising for these recruits and if { you have the fever, see him and ; “jine.” The pay runs from $156 to $1,380, and you ha“e to be five feet and five inches high, weigh i - ot less than 128 pounds, nor more than 190 pounds, and be free from spa.in, ring bone and heart disease • before you are eligible. Here is your opportunity. '{ ’Tis now Surveyor Eulk, hehavj ing complied with the custom, rules ‘ and regulati< ".is preparatory to stepping into the shoes of surveyor, which office he will continue to grace for the next two years to {come Thee mmis-donersmet Monday and accepted his bond, which I bore the signatures of Fred Shaffer {and J. B. Holthouse, at d calls for the rouud sum of SI,OOO. Mr. Fulk hails from Kirkland township, and is a genial, accommodating lad well { posted in the arts of the work unifier command. To him the Demo {Cratic Press extends the right hand of friendship, wishing him { unbounded success during official {life. The outgoing John W. Tyn I dall has very efficiently served the people for the last six years, and retires with a host of friends and i well wishes of every one.

DECATUR, INDIANA,-THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1894.

Havemeyer, the sugar king, is negotiating for the purchase of Alix, the pride of the turf, and it is said will probably purchase her for $30,000; a neat jag of money to invest in horse flesh. James T. Parrish and Theodore Kennedy of this township, Adam Bentz of Union, Lew L. Mason and G. B. Caldwell of Wabash, and Samuel J. Martz of Monroe, have all complied with the law by filing their bonds with County Clerk Lenhart, properly signed, as evidence of their intention of faithfully dis- { charging the duties and obligations incumbent upon the office of constable, to which they wereseveially elevated at the recent landslide. Bond SI,OOO. The ladies of the Mite Society and Epworth League will give a Thanksgiving dinner in the lecture room of the Methodist church on Thanksgiving day, which President Cleveland has proclaimed shall be on Thursday, November 29. Every mother's son is hereby notified ot this event, at which yon shall be ted as never fed before. The customary prices will lie in vogue, and don’t forget the fact that you aie invited. Methodist church, high noon, the 29th. Rev. E. T. Gregg, pastor of the M. E. church will deliver his eloquent address "Popular Amusements" this Thursday evening, at the Christian church. It is full of instruction, humor and pathos. Its worth has been recognized by the cultured in all of our neighboring towns and cities where he has been called to deliver it. Decatur will be glad of the opportunity to demonstrate that Rev. Gregg’s popularity is recognized and appreciated at home, as well as abroad. We are informed from some reliable source that a “jag factory” { will be located in Decatur. Thi- is not an indication that we foster more “jags” ti an other towns, for { every one acquainted with the town or its people knows better. Our neighboring cities are expected to send large delegations and in con-; sequence the movers of the enter prise will profit accordingly. The W. C. T. U. of Bluffton, have been the direct means of curing some thing less than a hundred. Just think of it. What is a bloomer dress I A { down east editor explains it in this { { way in his paper : “The bloomer dress is a pair of trousers, very { baggy at the knees, abnormally fail a. the pistol pockit. considerably loose where you strike a match; { the garment is cut decollette at the 1 south end, and the 1 ottoms are tied around the ankles or the knees to ! keep the mice out. You can’t pull it over your head as you do your ; corset, but set on the floor and pull it on just as you do your stockings, one foot in each compartment. You can easily tell which is the right side to have in front by the button { on the neck baud ” It is announced that theconsfruction of the Cincinnati, Union t'ity & Chicago railroad, intended to forma shortline between Cincinnati e and Chicago via the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton from Cincinnati to Dayton, and thence by the construction of 45 miles of tra k from Union City, Ohio, to Huntington, Indiana, to the junction with the Chicago & Erie, has been abandoned by the projectors. This will now definitely end the project unless some new di vine spirit is ejected into the move ment. At Winchester the com missioners have ordered the tax aid voted the road, stricken from the duplicate, which will soon be followed by a similar proceeding wherever such tax was voted. Thedifficnlties between the Tren ton Rock Mining Company and the Geneva Gas Company have been adjusted by the former cor- oration of gas importance swallowing the latter named company withits boots on, so to speak. The Geneva company wouldn’t stand any dictations in prices and in order to allay any trouble the Trenton |Rock just bought the plant entire, paying therefor $6,000; so in the future the people of Geneva will have to deal personally with this company, and pay their regulation in prices. Tuis c tnpromise stoppe 1 a big case in court and cheated some poor attorney out of a fat fee, but such is {life. The transfer was made the { first of 'he week by the officials of {both companies. The deal seems to be satisfactory all around, so what more could any one expect or desire.

i The election of officers and three f trustees of Sam Henry Post will be - held at the Post Hall Saturday ■ evening, Lee. 1, 1894, at 7 p. in. » All comrades in good standing should be on hand on this occasion. 1 The explosion of dynamite at i Huntington last Friday morning where three men lost their lives, was plainly felt and heard in this ■ city—a distance of nearly twentymi les. While we were at work in the office at 7 o’clock, the shock caused the furniture to rattle and was not unlike an earthquake in ls>th trembling anil sound.—Ossian News. No one who is a lover of the beautiful and true in speech should fail to hear Matilda Fletcher on the subject “Is Man an Angel?” She is undoubtedly “the queen of the platform” and will be at the M. E. church Thanksgiving night, Nov. 29. The program will begin at 7:15 with good music. Secure your tickets early as already over 20b have been sold. The lecture is given in behalf of the public schools. The very 7 mournful appearance of the St. Mary’s river during the past week has caused a number of our people to enquire of the cause thereof. By many it was first surmised that the recent rains upon the leaves and which found its way to the river, was the cause of the water appearing a jet black; ■ but a more thorough investigation proved it to be caused by several paper mills—near St. Marys, O., — {cleaning up their machinery, the{ refuse of which found its way 7 into the river with the above effect. D. M. Byers and wife were married just ten years ago last Friday, ) and the memory of ten years of married blissful happiness was suf- ; ficient for a celebration of the event, so their friends were invited in to take a hand in the fun. The social part of the even ng was devoted to cards and dancing, intermingled with a lunch that would simply make any one’s mouth water. It was a pleasant evening spent by { their friends. A number of pres- { {ents and well wishes were given Mr. and Mrs. Byers. George R. Dickerson of Geneva, { was hauled over the coals by a committee of attorneys consisting of{ John T. France, Amos P. Beatty and Lew C. De Voss, who took him through the technicalities prepara- { tory to making him a member of the Adams county bar. He very { correctly answered the questions, aftei which he was blind-folded and taken through the mysteriousness. He came out sound as a dollar and j ready for business. You will find his professional card elsewhere , which will tell you that all matters of law and collections entrusted to { his care will receive prompt atten- { tion. The third lecture in the Epworth ; League course was delivered last night at the church chapel by Rev. E. T. Gregg of Decatur, on “Amusements.” The room was comfortably filled and those present were amply repaid for the Double they took in going through the inclement weather. The subject had been given careful thought by thespeaker and many telling points were made against the commonly termed “Popular Amusements.” With the bad effects the good «ere also shown up but not so strongly. The fiercest attacks were n ade on danc ing, the theater, cards, foot and ease ball. The fourth lecture in I the course will be delivered a week from next Tuesday evening by Rev. T. Chamness on “Draw the Line.” —Bluffton Chronicle. The commissioners were in session Monday, at which time the official bond of Peter P. Ashbaucher was accepted and approved. The doci meut calls for a faithful per formance of his duties under a bond of $5,000 which instrument was duly signed by Christian Ashbaucher, Jacob Meshberger and Andrew Gottschalk, all residents of Berne, and is w< rth many times the face value of the bond. Pete is ; mi all around, straight up and down { good fe low and will make the same kind of an officer, and for the next ■ two years we may expect the business of this office to progress in a business-like manner, the same as it did under the efficient guidance) of Ex-Sheriff Ifoak, who retired ! Tuesday after two years of faithful work. Mr. Doak will engage in the ) poultry business and remain a citizen of Decatur, a face that will be relished by his many friends here. Here’s for the success of the ins and outs.

e i Treasurer Bolds sent $5,000 to a the state treasurer the other day as part payment of state taxes, and . now that official can have turkey ; dressing for sure on Thanksgiving. . The treasurer reports but few det linquencies this fall, which is evi- , deuce that our tax paying people ’ still carry money in their socks, . and can meet all current obligations at most any time. i Numerous telegraphic despatches from Indianapolis says that the Grand Army of the Republic of i Indiana owns over 200 acres of i valuable land near the famous Tippecanoe battle ground and it is pro- , posed to ask the next legislature tor an appropriation that suitable , buildings may be erected upon this , land which will always be open to , the heroes of the late war. A bill appropriating $150,000 for a soldier's home passed the lower house last session after being cut to $75 - { 000. The bill reached the senate too late for action and there it stood at adjournment. It is e-timated that over 1,000 veterans are in the poor asylums of the state. The natural gas question in this . state isagaiu anabsorbiiig question, and here is what the Cincinnati {Commercial Gazette says on the subject: “A shortage of natural gas is expected in Indiana, this winter. The Jay county field is being drained by the Ohio Pipe Line Company, that supplies Dayton, Lima and Springfield. The oil field has contributed its share in reducing the rock pressure from 325 pounds to 240 pounds, and in many wells the pressure is only 150 { pounds. Millions of feet of gas is wasted every day, and with the im- { mense consumption from factories, together with large pipe lines that supply Indianapolis, Chicago,.Lafayette, Ft. Wayne, Logansport and one hundred smaller cities, it is not strange that gas consumers are alarmed al the decreased gas piessure of wells.” The circuit court was tangled up several days this week with a suit in which some eighty odd dollars was the contesting point. The be- { ginning of the case takes us back to the time when Mark MeConnel was {sheriff of this Adams county. { “Kill” Roach, a genuine tough, { was arrested for robbing John C. Manley’s business house at Geneva, {and taking about that amount of' { money. While in jail awaiting trial the money was in the hands <.l Sheriff McConnell. Manley wanted his money, and gave a bond to the effect that if the money turned out not to be his, (Mauley’s) he w add { return same. Roach was brought {to trial and on some technicality was aquitted, and then his attoiI neys demanded the money from McConnell. Then Mark came back {on Manley for his money, hence the trial. Bobo & Coffee looked after McConnell sside, while France & Merryman did their duty foi ■ Manley. It ended yesterday and was decided in favor of Manley. The circuit court devoted a day i or two last week with Elmer Urich who was implicated in a deal where grand larceny was charged with the tariff attached. About a year or little more ago this defendant together with John Kttevel and William Brandybeiry, were implicated in a clear case of steal. Meat vali ed at a few hundred dollars, was what caused them to forget to { taste not, touch not, handle not. After they made the unsuccesssful { deal Urick and Brandyberry’ va moosed to other climates. Knevel was tried, convicted and sentenced to one year in the northern prison, where he still languishes. After this procedure had taken place the lost wauderers returned, and immediately were taken in custody by the proper authorities. A jury in the last tei m of court agreed to dis agree on the subject anil the ease was continued. It was taken up again last Thursday, keeping the { court busy taking evidence and hearing the arguments until Satur day noon, when the jury 7 was ) charged and directed by II s Hom r ro return a verdict. After being i out nearly nine hours they settl* d { upon the matter, and through their ■foreman returned the following: “We, the jury, find the defendant, { ) Elmer Urick, guilty of petty lar i ceny and asst ss his punishment at imprisonment in the state's prison { for the period of one year, that he { be fined in the sum ot one dollar—- ) and disfranchised for one year.” He will be taken north in a few days. The case of Bra dyberry was continued until the next term »f court, he being uow at liberty under tail.

NUMBER 6

> SKIPPED THE GOOSE, s 1 John Blakeslee Mourned by ' Many Creditors. Some seven or eight years ago ■{John Blakeslee came to this city fiom Hicksville, Ohio, opened up » a loan and insurance office and began doing business with our citizens. He bore personal evidence of honesty as well as innumerable > recommendations from his home f attesting that he wasayarl wide f and all wool. He commingled with our people, meeting all obligations . and promises in a manner that bore • | out the statement that he was wor- ■ thy of the confidence and respect s of every one. Being genial, ac- > commodating and pleasant he soon I made a favorable impression. He received the agency of several in- . surance companies and in time became known and done business • with people in almost every section of Adams county. He loaned money for other companies and in . this way gained the good graces of another class of our people. This progressed and John was making money, and every one was glad to note his prosperity. In a few years { he branched out and began to speculate on his own hook. He built houses, sold some, mortgaged others ' ■ but continued until he had built some fifty-four houses, both here and at Geneva. He then bought { some land, stock and most everything else he could get his hands {on, but the hand of time wasn’t smiling with any flourishing degree upon the many investments he put { his foot on. But he continued anti almost everything he owned { w is mart aged for nearly its face value. He would make money in i some deals, lose more in others and so it went. His circumstances became some what straightened within the last year or two, and here was where John made the first black { spot upon his record of trust and honesty. The stock of clothing : owned by David Oberman was insured by this ag»nt for some $12,- { 000. The blaze of two weeks ago { called forth a payment on insuri ance, and the morning after that I lire was the last seen of Blakeslee, ind thesupposition is well grounded i for the belief that he is a fugitive { from justice and the law. He being gone the company direct was noti- { lied anil a special agent came on i last week to straighten things out, and after two or three d .ys work he made revelations that show co <>ked dealings with hair on it, all done too by Agent Blakeslee. For example he would insure some stock of goods for se.eral thousands of dollars, and which would pay to the company from S4O to Slot), lie would take the number of this policy and report same to the company with the name of some unknown and give the propeity insnred as a tenement house, which | paid into the company from $2 to ■ $5, making on t' e deal the biggest half of a hundred dollars. Could { he have kept up this gait fora limited period of time, he could have owned a corner stone in some national bank, but like disciepaneies of all kinds, it is only aquei-iioti of lime. W hen the agent «a- here last week h • ferreted out the dis- { crepancies p'etty well, but the best {that can be done will lie several hundred dollars shy, whiea the { bondsmen no doubt will have to put up. He represented some five or six different companies, and to each one gave a bond of SSOO. Besides this comes personal obligations ana debts to business men and others about town, which will aggregate no small amount. Many people about town think that the wandering pilgrim will return and make a satisfactory explanation of himself and every thing else, but there are some things in this connection which will be mighty hard to explain, to some {of our people at least. We hope he will return to the arms of his i friends, and if things are not what they seem, straighten them out as best he can. It is the only way for him now to do. John, ante up. The street commissionership still I remains in the hands of Archbold, but how long no one knows. It seems 1 hat Mayor Quinn wauls to corrall the --nap for his brotber inlaw, while some of the republican meinb rs of the council have pet candidates of their o 'n. and they {Can’t hitch worth a ecu . They { will probably get together at an early date by uniting on some one to fill the present commßsioner’s shoes, even after prayerful piuiiii- { ses to the contrary.