Democratic Press, Volume 1, Number 14, Decatur, Adams County, 17 January 1895 — Page 1

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.

VOLUME I.

Ike Ilosenthrail’s new room is altotit ready for •ecupancy. John Gerard straddled a ticket for Wayne the first of, the week. Henry Meyer was attending to business in Fort Wayne yesterday. Ross Stone spent several days last week amid the gaiety of Fort Wayne. Fred Mills is home from Richmond, he having returned Sunday morning. John Yager smiled one of his free, easy smiles on friends in Fort Wayne Tuesday. Ex Sheriff Doak has been on the grunting list for several days past, but is better now. Miss Neva Sheney, of the Burt, spent last week visiting relatives at Waterloo, Ind. David and Joseph Linton of Wabash township, were business callers in town Monday. Mrs. Fred Shaffer and Mrs. J. Beecher Miebers went to Ft. Wayne yesterday afternoon. Curley Radamacher was at Fort Wayne Tuesday where business was a contesting point. Dr. Neptune made his regular appearance to an abundance of patrons at Ohio City, yesterday. How are you fixed for reading for 189 ti. The Press can touch the spot just right. Come and see us.

Court will begin to grind next Monday. Several important cases are on tap, although the docket is exceptionally light. The iron works at Hartford City were destroyed by fire Monday morning, sustaining a loss of $4,000 with SI,OOO insurance. Rev. W. I. Alexander, the present pastor of the Presbyterians, was a Grand Rapids passenger Tuesday to Fort Wayne. Lewis Fulk of Kirkland township, is still sick with complications of the stomach, and is in a somewhat critical condition. The boiler doing duty at Fred Miller’s laundry, was laid up for repairs the first of the week, but is now sound as a round dollar and hard at work again. Agent Bryson was the “ticklediest” man in town yesterday, alien account of the fact that the pay car passed over the Grand Rapids lines paying the old score. Frank Crill, for several years connected with the Journal, has changed his base to the Democrat, where he will have mechanical charge after next Monday. A. G. Briggs of Geneva, was here Monday on business. He is secretary of the Trenton Reck Min-

■ ing Company at that place, besides $ being implicated in the hardware | business, owning oil property and g many other business interests too g numerous to mention. B Deputy Auditor Brandyberry J has been absent in the rurals sev Kteral days this week posting notices w'of delinquent tax sales, which are Bset down for sale on Friday, February 11th. The law requires the Bposting of said notice in the center ■of each and every township in the ■county. Now is the time to advertise. ■Some merchants think it a practiBeal idea to tear out all their adver Btising during a presumably dull ■season of their business, but it is a Kfalse economy and will lose more ■ than the gain. Keep everlastingly Bat it is a motto that should be ® closely followed and never forgotA ten, especially in the judicious use Bof printer’s ink. The horse market inPhiladelphia B seems to be somewhat like the ■ prices on horses here—only worse. J Last week Dan Berry, John Weber K and John Peterson went to PhiiaB delphia taking with them two car » loads of horse flesh. Usually such a lot would be sold out in about I three shakes of a dead sheep’s tail, B but not so with this lot. After t three or four days hard work they I managed to dispose of them, at no fancy prices either. The farmers here" who think horses should bring so much more money should take a few to the city and try their luck. The many different ways electricity has bloomed into use has knocked the use and thereby the price of horses lower than oblivious oblivion. We believe too, that there is more money in raising cats than horses. Someone should start a cat factory.

Amos Foreman was numbered among the sick several days this week. The pastor of the German Reformed Church was at Berne several days last week. Fre.l Miller, aged eighty-two years and a German, died at the county infirmary the first of the week. The United States senate has confirmed the nomination of Edward Tuhey to be postmaster at Muncie. The Oberman stock of goods are being gradually closed out, and in a week or so more nothing will be left but the tail end and that won’t last long. Lum Peele is now a fixture in the Winchester Herald. Lum is a genuine old line hustler, and will make things boil over thereabouts if given half a show. Charley Mitchell, the English pugilist, has challenged Peter Jack- | son to box for £SOO purse in Eng- < land, the same to take place in May or June. Winnie Smith of Indianapolis, I was given a penitentiary 1 sentence! | of eighteen years for manslaughter. In July last he murdered William Thomas of Anderson.

Some of the republican officials of Fort Wayne are at Indianapolis trying to lobby a snap bill through the legislature extending the terms of office of those officials to 1898. The legislature has reimbursed Governor Matthews for the money expended by him in paying the state militia for services rendered during the great railroad war of last summer. R. K. Allison, D. P. Bolds, Charles Niblick ami D. French Quinn formed a quartette that drove to Bluffton Tuesday’ evening and took in that woeful town by dim gas light. The Odd Fellows here will drop down on the Geneva'brethren some time soon, and we will now testify to the fact that they never will be more royally' treated than by 7 the members of No. G 34 at Geneva. Samuel Maurer of Geneva, mails us the lucre for the Press and Sentinel which will visit him weekly during 1895, and will be as necessary to him as three meals a day. They all want it, they all get it—the Press is the paper for news.

The revival services at the Methodist church are becoming quite interesting. Bev. Gregg is just beginning to warm himself up, and before the end of the series of meetings we expect to hear much praise heaped upon his untiring and energetic efforts. Quite a number of our merchants are chin deep with their yearly invoice, and where such work is going on you are entitled to eveiy smile you can draw out of those so engaged. It seems as though this part of the business is undesirable, although a necessity. Among those so engaged are Ehinger Ci Meyer and Sprang & True. A notice elsewhere will tell you ; that the partnership heretofore exj isting between Longacher, Gamp bell & Erwin, of Berne, has been i dissolved, the former selling his interest to the latter two who will i continue the business as of old. They deal in clothing, dry goods, carpets, etc., and are among the toppermost merchants of hustling Berne. R. B. Allison and John Trentman have done gone and left us, and ere this are about ready to comfortably settle themselves down among the blooming blossoms of Florida. They left Tuesday morning via Cincinnati, and will travel just as the spirit moves them, taking things easy and comfortable. But they will reach their destination some time the latter part of this week, and will remain for an indefinite period, the object of the trip being recreation, pleasure and other things too numerous to mention. By the way, our readers can begin to fix their mouths for an interesting lerter from Mr. Allison, ! which will contain many things of iuterest about that country, the people, customs and everything that is quite likely to interest you, | and in the mea time if any one desires to communicate with them about the proper way to play cribbage successfully, yon will find them at Braidentown, Florida, via Port Tampa. The Press will bel one of their welcome weekly visitors while they are gone.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 1895.

The weather is pretty decent right now and everybody is presumably satisfied. P. W. Smith, president of the National Bank, made his usual weekly visit to our city the first of the week. Some twenty of our business and professional men were planning a sleigh ride to Fort Wayne this afternoon. Simply 7 a little outing is all they are after. Dunkirk is negotiating for a mammoth steel industry which will work several hundred hands and be a valuable annex to the business interests of that town. A sled ride to Berne last evening was enjoyed by a numberless number of our young lads and lasses. They report a congenial and fun loving time. Such is life when you are young. Surveyor Fulk is this week tangled up in stove pipe, lace curtains and “sich,” and is reaping the rich and deserving blessings of be ing married. Himself and wife have gone to housekeeping in their own home on Fourth street. Rev. W. 1. Alexander will leave next Tuesday for his new home at Argule, Illinois, at which place he will continue ill the ministry. Durin his residence in this city he made many warm personal friends who will regret to see him leave. Trustee Vogelweede visited some of his rural schools this week, and they are all progressing as only well regulated schools could. They are all in a flourishing condition, i for which much credit is due our efficient trustee. May 7 they ever • remain so. Misses Eva Smith, Josie Malott, Eva Reed, Matie Grimm, Hattie Moore, and Jesse Roop, Ness Moon, i Frank Orcutt, Albert Numbers, Albert Nichols and Bert Mann, ; comprised a load of jolly 7 young people who took in the excellent I sleighing Tuesday evening. Rev. C. <>. Shirey of Vincennes, Indiana, will occupy the pulpit at ■ the Presbyterian church every evlening next week. He bears the distinction of being a minister with I good elocutionary ability. The members of the congregation will welcome you out to hear him. Sis Hartsell of Portland, who has many times been an inmate of our county bastile for safe keeping, was tried in the Jay circuit court for assault and battery. She put up a forcible plea of mental distress and the jury said not guilty. We were of the opinion that she was a dis- \ tress but never knew what kind before.

Sleighing parties seem to be all the rage just now. Three were in ! bloom Tuesday night, the objective j points being Berne, Pleasant View and Willshire, Ohio. The roads I were simply grand and of course ; there is nothing to report but a “scrumptuous” good time. Will ! our snow poet please grind out a i few productions on “thebeautiful?” An interesting letter from Representative Kelley will be found in our news columns thisweek. While | John will be compelled to mingle [with a minority that don’t take ; long to count, yet he will have the pleasure of helping to fan the flies off the endless majority whenever occasion demands. The Press will find him every week at the Hotel English, at which p’ace he hangs out. There is talk among some of the 1 attorneys, in case the constitution ■ of the state is revised, to so change the jury system, that instead of it requiring a unanimous vote to reach a verdict that a three-fourths or majority vote be sufficient. This is the way the supreme is governed, i If a majority makes a decision, it ;is made and it stands. But a jury |of men unfamiliar with law and with only the facts before them as they are remembered must reach an unanimous decision. If the majority or three-fourths rule was adopted one man could not, as is often done now, “hang” a jury for hours or prevent them from coming to an agreement. Second trials, which doubles the cost to parties' and to the state in criminal cases, would then be almost a thing of the past, as they only could be secured by the judge or a higher court setting aside the verdict. It is believed by some of the attorneys that such a modification of our jury system would further the ends of justice and save the state a great deal of money.—Bluffton Chronicle.

Deputy Clerk Lenhart, accompanied by his wife spent last Sunday with relatives at Peterson, where the latter’s parents reside. Joseph Hocker of Monroe, has filed a SI,OOO bond for which the governor has appointed him a notary public for a period of four years. Talk about an open winter, no snow, ice nor cold weather, well we guess not. Y’ou can’t wear your summer underwear with comfort this kind of weather. T. F. Golden, an attorney and real estate dealer of Geneva, was transacting business in town Monday, and between sweats dropped i in and took advantage of our Press and Sentinel snap—both one year for $1.50. Sickness is subsiding on all sides and presumably everybody is enjoying good health. Generally speaking this order of things suits pretty well, but somehow the pill boxvenderskicksomewhat. Every- | body can’t be satisfied, there is no use talking. The public schools at Portland have opened again after Iteing clos [ed several weeks on account of an I epidemic of diphtheria, which has taking the town. NTo new cases have been reported for a week past and the board of health think the danger line is past. Our job work is crowding up i t hrough the ceiling and the boys in the office are sweating like veritable Irish. Our manner of executing nice work for a small price seems j to be taking with the people about right. We will make room for more, so come and see us.

Pete Nusbatim and Ida A. Baumgartner, Samuel A. Habegger and Annie Stauffer, John Reynolds and Gertrude Cower, Harvey Shaw and Mary Shuhler, Michael Smith and Sophia Schraluka, Conrad Yearling and Magdalena Dalch have Isen licensed to marry since our last week’s report. A party of young people composed of Misses Mary Frieund, Lizzie and Anna Miller, Anna and Nona Forbing, Mamie Feulenkamp, Florence and Sophia Campbell, Anna Schumaker, Rose Albright, Chas. Shackley. Lew Andrews, Ed Andrews, Claude Roebuck, Ross Uhlman and Tom Frieund, fully enjoyed the sleighing Tuesday evening. 7 The C. B. L. society installed officers at a meeting held Wednesday evening of last week, at which time Barney Meibers was ushered into the office of president, John Mason vice president, Leo Yager secretary, Charles Niblick collector, J. K. Niblick treasurer, 1). D. Coffee orator, Jacob Martin chancellor, John Gerard marshal, Peter Sitz guard.

A South Bend youth has contrived a bicycle attachment that will make a bicycle avadable on snow or ice as well as on solid ground. The back wheel has a spiked surface and a runner attachment, and the front wheel has a runner attachment alone. When snow or ice is struck all that is necessary is to throw the runners into gear by a lever attachment, and away you can go at a fine speed. The invention has been given a trial, and has proved very satisfactory.

Additional new court cases filed for hearing this term of our circuit court is Jesse anti John Niblick, John and Frank Crawford vs. Sylvester W. and John W. Peterson and George W. Wood; note, demands SIOO. Dallas G. M . Trout, vs. 'William, Clara, SolomonM. and Letita Schncps, Ibmry Stallman and George Hudson: foreclosure mortgage and reform deed. Rubber Manufacturing Co. vs. Christian W. Hocker; account, demands $125. Seth D. Beaners exparte, petition for ditch; appealed from commissioner’s court. Andrew Miller vs. Grand Rapids & Indiana railway company; suit for damages, demanding S3OO. Daniel Steele, guardian of Levi Diehle, a person of unsound mind vs. Christian and John Aunen and Nicholas Berger; note and foreclosure of mortgage, demands S3OO. State of Indiana ex rel. Margaret Myers vs. Christian Kauffman. John Schoen vs. Isaac, Nancy and Jasper Robinson and Judson AV. Teeple; note, demands S7OO. James R. Bobo vs. Almina Bobo; complaint for divorce. Daniel J. Coffee vs. James M. Long; complaint to foreclose chattel mortgage, demands $125.

The Kate Crary art tours are amusing the people at Portland this week, they holding the fort in the Presbyterian church at that place. J. R. Swaueland, C. P. Hodge, W. L. Hidde, S. T. Brown, J. A. Gonzalez, Curtis Fair, A. R. Montgomery, Miss Maggie Hecker, can secure letters by calling at the postoffice. The Adams circuit court begins to grind next Monday morning. Judge Heller is this week finishing up the docket in Jay county and will Ire ready for business Monday morning. A Clover Leaf freight ditched a couple of Grand Rapids freight cars Saturday, while Both were switching near the crossing. The damage was slight, considerably less than the swearing.

At Eaton last November a manufacturer failed or refused to close his factory’ so the employes could vote, giving as a reason that business was so great he could not. He has been arrested and the matter will be tested in court. Judge I! R, Shively of Wabash, is already a candidate for departmentcommander of thegrand army, which meets at Muncie on March 28 and 29. Judge Shively is well known throughout this part of Indiana and is deserving of the commandership or any thing else he may want. A peculiar ailment comes from Vincennes, where Mrs. Hannah Green lives and who, since last Saturday night, has lost all power of speech. A singular feature in connection with her affliction, is that she retains her appetite, sleeps well and to all appearances is in j robust health, with the exception that she is unable to articulate a sound.

Andrew Miller through his attorneys, Mann & Beatty, has brought suit in the circuit court to recover S3OO damages from the Grand. Rapids .railway 7 company. The damages were sustained by the bur ing of fences, fruit trees, etc., the fire originating from a spark from a Grand Rapids engi e. Mr. Miller lives along side their line of road. The Adams (runty bar of practicing attorneys held a meeting in ■ France & Merryman’s office Mon day evening, the object of which I was a revision of the printed bar docket. All the demands they sought were granted by Judge Heller so we may 7 expect something a little extraordinarily tine, super tine or something of that sort. We never knew an attorney to want anything he didn’t get. The change, however, is a good one. A. Holt house, the boat and shoe fitter, has been circulating a peti tion asking our representative in the state general assembly to work for the passage of bill demanding license from street venders who locate in a town for a short time selling merchandise and the like. The petition was numerously signe 1 by the bulk of our businessman. Such a law should be on our statute books, for such traveling fakes are in the business simply for what money they 7 can gull from the peo pie, and it is a fact too, they never pretend to give value received. They are a hard lot and should be given the cold, cold shake.

The tire bell and cries of lire brought many of our people sh i vering from their homes Saturday night. It was a bitter cold night, the wind blowing and some snow* falling, and it was with difficulty that many people aroused them selves to action. The fire was soon discovered on Adams street in the residence of Harvey Segur, but be fore the tire laddies could reach it the entire house was beyond any possible control, and to save it was an inevitable fight. Nearly all the furniture was rescued from the first floor, but everything else perished, the entire house being a total wreck in a very short space of time. The fire caught from the chimney and almost before any one knew it the side walls and second floor was ablaze. Fortunately there was S3OO insurance on the dwel’ing and $l5O on the contents. The insurance will fail by long odds in paying the total loss, but the sl,050 will go a long ways toward meeting the loss incurred. The family of Mr. Segur will reside with a relative in the western su burb until a new home is erected It is an unfortunate affair, especi ally at this cold, freezing time.

NUMBER 14

Sleighing is the height of fashion just now. The roads are packed to perfection and the merry jingle can be heard from all corners, giving expression to the fact that it is a happy time of year. Someof the finest iceever handled has been stored away by our ice dealers during the past two weeks, and will be brought out next summer fresh and chilly as ever. It is from six- to ten inches thick and clear as a crystal. Mr. and Mrs. Dell Locke kindly says “won’t you please come to our party.” They will be at home Saturday evening in the parlarsof the Burt, where their welcoming hand will have much to do with a pleasant cornmingleation of sociability. The Detreich gas syndicate have mortgaged their various plants to the central trust company of New | York for $2,000,000. The mortgage was given to secure payment ; of certain bonds and covers the Ft. Wayne, Bluffton, Anderson, Montpelier, Camden and Park Place plants. The attorneys of the bar of the I Jay circuit court have organized and will establish an association library. They will purchase northwestern reports for fifteen years back and will hereafter buy everything as published. They also talk of making the present library 7 room for the petit jury room, enlarging the present petit jury room and using it for the new library.—Portland Sun.

The jury 7 commissioners and county clerk shook up the box Monday and drew out .he names of Jenas Cline of Root township, Howard Thompson of Washington, Henry Rodenbeck of Root, Thomas S. Perkins of Monmouth, Gid Longender of Monroe, William Reinking of Union, J. L. Wheeler of Geneva, Abe Railing of Washington, C. W. Hocker of Monroe, James K. Martz of Monroe, Frank Hisey of Jefferson, and W. D. Huffman of Kirkland, who will serve as the petit jury for the January term ofc rat which begins business next Monday. The publication of the laws in the county papers is a matter that should engage the attention of the coming legislature. Several states have such laws, and find them a good investment of public money. As it is at present in th s state, the great majority of the people to be governed have no knowledge whatever of what the laws are, and but little opportunity to make themselves acquainted with the law’s provisions. Publish them in the county 7 paper, at a fair rate of compensation, and every man, woman and child will have a chance to know the nature of every law they are required to obey.

The production of oil in the Indiana and Ohio oil fields fur the < year 189-1 is the greatest ever recorded. The net stocks of the 1 Buckeye pipe lines Were increased 1,600,920 barrels during the year. I Consumption has been increased, ; but it has not kept pace with the : increase in the production. During December a change in the general condition of affairs begun to make' itself apparent, and there was a ! decline in the net stocks of over 137,000 barrels For November the increase in the net stocks was 18,172 1 artels. The gain for the : month of October was 206,2-11 barrels. During September there was an increase in the net stocks of 304,119 barrels. In August there was an increase of 231,977 barrels, and in July 292,053 barrels. The ■ June increase was 100,974 barrels, and the May, 277,382 barrels. The runs in both states averaged 43,187 I barrels a day in April, 45,941 bar ■ rels in May, 46,747 barrels in June, ' 44,074 barrels in July, 47,399 barj rels in August, 44,178 barrels in September, 45,324 barrels in October, 44,478 barrels in November, and 42,786 barrels in December. The December shipments were the ! heaviest of the year. November ' made a gain of over 4,000 barrels |on October, while the shipments for December have exceeded those of November by 4,350 barrels a day. lhe December shipments averaged 47,212 barrels, and the November shipments were 42,862 barrels a ( day. The daily average shipments for October were 38,671 barrels, for ■ September 34,108 barrels, and for August 39,941 barrels. The July ■ shipments averaged but 33,009 barrels a day. The shipments for June averaged 43,465 barrels, for May 37,105 barrels, and for April 40,346 barrels of crude oil.