Democratic Press, Volume 1, Number 21, Decatur, Adams County, 7 March 1895 — Page 1

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.

VOLUME 1.

I). P. Bolds was at Portland last Friday. Harry Meissetooka business trip to Grand Rapids this week. Mrs. A. T. Lynch is at Winchester at the sick bed of her sister, Mrs. Aaron Votaw. Dr. C. V. Connell, the veterinary, was called to Berne yesterday on professional business. Rev. George Schroeder of Scott, Ohio, was mingling with friends here a few days last week. The mother of D 11. and T. T. Swaim, editors of the Chronicle at Bluffton,* - died at her home in Ossian. The funeral took place Monday. John Wagner, an aged citizen of this city, died Monday afterashort illness. The funeral took place yesterday, with interment in Maplewood . Jacob Buhler, sen., still remains quite sick, although his condition is somewhat improved and some hopes ate entertained for his rec ivery. Postmaster-General Grandstaff of Monmouth, was in town Tuesday, and showed his smiling phiz at this office. He is a genial nice fellow, and reports Monmouth as being the only virtuous landmark this side of the water. Jerry Coflee, of the firm of Coffee & Baker, sets ’em up to a fine ten center and with that conveys the information that he is papa of a tine looking boy, which became a part of their happy household last Thursday night. Tuesday evening Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Schirmeyer entertained Fred Shafer and wife, J. D. Hale and wife, A. D. Moffatt and wife, Jeff Bryson and wife, and A. K. Bell and wife. The usual good time was very systematically enjoyed by those present. A wedding will take place in this city on the 11 h, next Thursday, in which two of Decatur’s popular young people will participate. Not knowing that the details stirrounding this circumstance is public property, we will stop right now. 1). M. Hensley and wife very charmingly entertained a ntimlter of friends at their comfortable home on Second street. Amusements and luncheon formed a series of pleasures of the evening. Tuesday evening was the date of the festivities. The Democratic Press sports a bran new sign, the handiwork of artist Corbin, who is undoubtedly a veteran workman in his line of trade. All you have to do is look up, follow instructions on the sign, enter our den, deposit the lucre and become a permanent member of the Press family—we do the rest. Rev. J. B. Fowler, for many years the faithful and venerable pastor in the Presbyterian clyirch at Winchester, delivered two practical sermons in the Presbyterian church in this city on last Sabbath. He is a very agreeable pul pit orator, and come- nearer “practicing what he preaches” than the most of man kind, and that is saying a good deal. He returned to Winchester Monday. “If t at man had spoken to me as he did to you,” said one of the bystanders after the crowd on the corner had dwindled away, “and called me a driveling idiot, a sneaking scoundrel, a hypocrite, a hump shouldeied villian and an all round chump, with a skull full of cold mush instead of brains, I would have knocked him down.” “Why, Great Scott!” replied the big, good naturod man in a heavy overcoat, “I am used to that. I was a book agent about fifteen yearsago. That’s mild.” Judge Dailej- has not rendered a decision in the Madison street opening case which was heard before him last week. Our readers are all familiar with all details of the case so it is useless for ns to go into a detailed discussion of the as fair. The taking of evidence and the arguments consume 1 near three days and is being very bitterly fought by the railroad company. A decision will quite likely be handed down in a few days. In this connection it might not be out of or 'ei to state that Judge Dailey is a most estimable jurist, and either on or off the bench is pleasant, courteous and gentlemanly, and has car loads of friends here as he has elsewhere, where known.

The W. C. T. U. will meet at the home of Mrs. V/. J. Meyers Saturday afternoon at 2:30. Miss Men.i Meyers leaves to day jto visit her sister, Mrs. Robert F. Harding at Ft. WayneHenry Hoppel while in town Monday invested in a year’s Press news, and will hear all that is going on for that length of time, Alfred Kester, a son of Jacob Kester of Jefferson township, and a bright young man of thirty years, died and was buried last Sunday. Lydia Hendricks, aged ninety years, died Saturday at the home [of James Hendricks, her son, who lives near Monroe. The funeral took place Monday. J. C. F. Manley and Jacob Wegmiller of Geneva, were before the board of commiss oners Tuesday morning, and by them granted a li,cense to retail intoxicating liquois. All veterans and their sons are notified to meet at G. A. R. Hall, Monday evening, March 11,1895, I for the purpose of organizing a camp of Sons of Veterans. By order of Committee. | It is rumored that a respectable I young man of Root township has ■ come to the conclusion that life isn't worth living in singleness, so I when Easter and dog days are over, the necessary documents will be applied for. We stated last week that Rev. 'Stoops deliveied the sermon to the Pythians at the Evangelical church | one week ago last Sabbath. We were mistaken in that, as Rev. ! Jacob their regular pastor, was the orator of the occasion. R. Dick Erwin was at Indian- ■ apolis last week and took a one I cent chance in the penny slot ma 1 chine. Yesterday he was around ■ setting ’em up to his friends, he j having just received a box of good i ten cent smoxers, the result of his good luck in capturing the capital prize. Aaron Bricker and George Shafter of Geneva, were before the com missioners board Monday, on gravel road business. While here they dropped down to see the Press and made us feel young with their supreme jollity. The former planked down the lucre for the Press, the best newspaper in Adams county. A German lost a cat, and he advertised for it, and in the style of a Teutonic vender of saner kraut, • said “I loss one fine cat, she vas a 'Thomas eat; the two behind legs vas white. Whoever finds dis cat pays me fife dollars. I live in Puck Creek, three miles behind de pridge. Mv name is Youkup Noodles.” Fourteen licenses to retail liquor have been granted by the commissioners now in session. The list includes Henry Fred Bohnke, Peter Wilhelm. Cornelius Rademacher, : Robert N. Steele, Albert J. Shurger, Green S. Burkhcad, John Myers, Charles D. Murray, J. C. T. Gerard, at this place, Jacob Wegmiller ami J. C. F. Manley at Geneva, Jeff Klopfenstein at Preble, Eugene Ashleman at Berne, Ed Nenensehwander at Buena Vista, and John D. Steele north of town. W. Wig Briggs, know u to all the ! direct populace of Geneva and its surroundings as well as to society, business ami political circles in all this part of creation, was married to Miss Hawkins, one of the bright young ladies of Portland. Wig is “plenty old enough to know,” and has hosts of friends on every hand, while the bi ide is ennobling in all the many womanly virtues. The Press joins the procession of congratulatory friends and wishes the happy couple a long and prosperous life. They will reside in Geneva. If you have a tale of woe choke it oft - , step on it and ram it back into the skeleton closet and nail the door. The world loves you in sunshine and despises yon in tears. Sometimes the temptation is verygreat to tell one’s sorrows. It seems as if they might be cast aside in that way; but you tell of your sorrow to your particular friend, and it goes to her particular friend, and to the particular friend of somebody else, and in time it is the gossip of the town, and you are justly to blame for not keeping your affairs to yourself. The world isn’t anxious to hear of people’s troubles; it has only time to jeer at them and wonder why instead of talking about pleasant things it is bored with stories of people’s sufferings. —Exchange.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1895.

R. K. Bell and wife will enter- ■ tain friends to a six o’clock dinner to morrow evening. Dell Locke ami 11. M. Romlierg were in Chicago yesterday on business relative to the Citizens Phone Company. Prof. A. D. Moffatt has been confined to his home all week, much to his disapproval. A touch of lagrippe is causing the trouble. Will E. Keubler of the Boston \ Store, is now just recovering from a trying siege of lagrippe. He was housed about a week, plenty long enough for one heat. J. A. Moorman, a bridge hustler lof Winchester, was here Monday looking after the bridge business. ■He subscribed for the Press and will, hereafter keep tab on Adams county matters. The following named persons can obtain letters at the postoffice: W. 11. Snavely, Ross & Elsery, Mary Summers, Charles Brown, M. Mires, 11. Campbell, W. C. Gehr, Miss Helen Gibson. No one who has ever heard the I colored people sing, especially those with trained voices, will be willing to miss hearing them again. Come and hear the Tenues ee Warblers at the Baptist church, Tuesday evening. March 12. Hear the original roost, r song, the cat song, the Chinese song, imitations of steam calliope and band, ! lamb song, and a program of twenty-two numbers at the Baptist church, Tuesday, March 12. Admission fifteen and twenty-five cents. The northern Indiana conference will meet in Logansport, March 25, i and continue in session until April |l. The s ssion will be presided ! over by Bishop Henry Warren of University Park, Colorado. Rev. Gregg’s name appears on the program, ami will lead a devotional i exercise along near the end of the ; session. Rev. Horton is the name of the j new minister of the Presbyterian church, he having accepted a call from the congregation at this place • and will begin his pastoral duties ' next Sabbath morning. He is said i to be a pleasing gentleman of con- | siderableability, and will be warmly welcomed by all the people of Decatur. He will not move his family for a month yet. Nora Dougherty yesterday filed a complaint in the county clerk’s office, which complains and alleges that Richard B. Johnson is the fraternal father of her unborn child. A preliminary hearing was had before Esq. Hill yesterday. She stated that she was seventeen years old, unnarried, was then pregnant and that Richard Burton Johnson was the cause thereof in fee simple. Esq. Hill made a finding for the girl and bound Johnson over to I court under a 8500 bond, which he failed to put up, so now comfortably resides with Sheriff Ashbaucher. Pleasant Reynolds, an aged and respected citizen of French town- ' ship, died on Friday last and was buried on Sunday. His funeral was preached at the Christian l church, near Linn Grove, Rev. Parker officiating. Mr. Reynolds was ■ born in Virginia, January 3, 1816, and when he was sixteen years old ! his father removed with him to Ohio, and in 183 ft he again removed Ito Wells county, Indiana, which together with Adams county has since been his home. He died March 1, 1895, aged seventy-eight years, one month and twenty eight days. He leaves a widow, eight sous and one daughter, besides a number of grand children to mourn his departure. Li st Thursday evening, in answer to a very kind invitation, Rev. and Mrs. E. T. Gregg, R. K. Bell and wife, Dr. DeVilbiss and wife, Mr. Williams and wife, I). M. Hensley and wife, Dell Locke and wife, J. C. Patterson and wife, W. H. Nachtrieb and wife, J. D. Hale and wife, John Niblick and wife, and L. G. Effingham and wife, sought the comfortable home of Prof, and Mrs. A. D. Moffatt, and were delightfully entertained at a six o’clock dinnet, the same bing presided over by Hrs. Moffatt and her mother. There were present the poetical, the humorous, as well as all sorts of novelistic people, but the humoristic were the people, no mistake. Games and sociability were .very pleasantly observed throughout the evening, and until an adjournment was in order.

Mrs. R. B. Patterson whose sickness was reported by us last week, is almost recovered. J, H. Boon and. wife rejoice over the addition of a boy at their home, which was born Thursday > evening last. Ed Neuenshwander, the genial ' young Buena Vista business man, was in town Monday, and that evening went to Fort Wayne. i Eugene Ashleman of Berne, has ! been granted a license to continue retailing intoxicants at Berne, according to the law governing such a business. f C. C. Yunker of Winchester, was here Monday seeing our county 1 commissioners as well as other lesser lights. He represents theCleve-1' land Bridge Company. A rare treat for the people of 1 Decatur. The Original Tennessee ’ Warblers, a troupe of colored sing- : ers of Nashville, Tenn., will sing at ’ the Baptist church next Tuesday i evening, Admission, 25 cents, 1 * children, 15 cents. Proceeds for ; the benefit of the church. The ’Bekahs came in Tuesday evening with a “shingle social,” the meaning of which might be difficult to solve, but the information is out that a most enjoyable’Bekah : time was had by all present. A ' program‘of music and other entertainment was down on the bills. 1 The docket for the February term of the Jay circuit court has 221 cases, thirty-four of which are state i' cases, eight of which are against 1 Wallace and Burton Neal on charges! of embezzlement. Another noticeable feature is the fact that there, are only eleven divorce eases. Just half as many as last terra.—Port- ■ land Sun. John W. Tyndall as engiueer. George H. Kelly and W. H. Shepherd as viewers from Adams conn- | ty, and Sutphen Straley and Al- s bert Brunson as viewers from Jay > county, were at Portland last Tuesday making a gravel road report of a contemplated road on the county line between Adams and Jay counties, running from New Corydon to the Ohio state line. The law firm of Peterson, Peter son & Lutz has been dissolved by mutual consent, Shafter Peterson retiring. Shafe has just completed and had printed a vest pocket edi tion of law citation-, which is pronounced by all members of the bar here as being the most con plete and practical production of law points ever before introduced for use. He has secured some very extraordinary letters of recommenda tion, and he will leave in a few days to test its merits, from a saleable standpoint, in this and adjoining states. ' On June 21 the seventeenth annual convention of the Catholic Knights of St. John will be held in , Evansville, Ind. The convention this year promises to be the largest ever held by the Knights Prizes ; ranging from $750 to $1,250 for the \ \ best drilled companies will be ■ given. The "Wayne and Indiana ■ connuandery of this city are figur ] irg to take part in the drill as the 11 Emmet comniandery. Capt. Len- i non, of the Emmett comniandery, ] has issued a call for a special meet- i ing to take action if his commandery i should participate in the event. If so, he will drill his company two or three times a week until the con- j vention. Captain Lennon is confi-' ; dent of winning one of the prizes. —Fort Wayne Journal. Otto Steplar, a ten year old boy, I was killed Friday afternoon about five o’clock by a falling tree in the i i woods adjoining his home, seven I miles east of the city in Adams ji county. As nearly as could be i learned, Otto was in the woods: 1 watching his father and brothers ‘ i at work. They had partially cut j 1 down a tree, and just as it was j ready to fall, called out to the boy < to run. He did but instead of fiee- < ing in the right direction rushed in i the very path of the tree’s fall, i One of his arms was broken between < the shoulder and the elbow, a leg i fractured above the knee, while in- 1 ternal injuries were sustained. As ; soon as the accident occurred, a ; j messenger was sent to town for i medical assistance and Drs. Cook < and Hatfield started out to the 1 Steplar home. They had gone about < half the way when another messen- 1 ger met them, and told them that 1 Otto had died but a short time previous and that their trip was un- i necessary. The boy was the son of : John Steplar, well known in this ; city.—Bluffton News. ■

Miss Minnie Leibau of Fort Wayne, has been a guest the past week of the Misses Cora and Kathereen Meisse in this city. Mrs. Lucy Ashbaueher of Bluffton, went home the first of the week after a pleasant visit with Surveyor Fulk and Sheriff Ashbaucher. Mrs. Renbarger and son, John, stopped over Sunday with daughter and sister, Mrs. Harve Malott. They were on their way to Plainville, Mich., to visit relatives. David Dilling and Jeff Klopfenstein with their wives were in town Tuesday from Preble. The former remembered this oflicesubstantially while the latter had previously done so. Commissioner Fetters, whose rheumatic illness we reported some time ago, is still troubled somewhat, although he is able to attend this session of commissioner’s court. All winter long he has been a constant victim to rheumatism, which is decidedly unpleasant to say the least. Luster P. Roush's smiling face will no longer be visible hereabouts, he having dissolved business with his brother Sam, and will open up a first-class bakery and confectionery store in Bluffton. His many friends here will note his new venture with pleasure. The two and a half years old baby of Mr. aud Mrs. Henry Meyers, died last evening at six o’clock, 1 after a very short illness. The babe had been sick most of the week, but was better aud ate dinner with the remainder of the family the day of its death. An abscess in I some acute form caused its death The many friends of the family are j extending the hand of sympathy. Three new cases have been I filed to come up at the April term of court. One is Christian Annen J vs. Sarah Fields, Susan Hower, Sarah Venis, Franklin Baum, iVilliam Baum and Mary Cole to quiet title and have will construed; Shurger, Reed & Smith aud Mann <Jt Beatty are attorneys for the plain tiff. Another one is for divorce, Joel Hudson vs. Mary Ann Hudson, which is being looked after by Attorney C. M. France. The third is Albert B. Vorhees aud Lewis E. Miller vs. Casper Lange, Theodore Drappleman and Frank Gildehouse on account, for which they demand SI,OOO. Clark J. Lutz is attorney for the plaintiffs. J. W. Place is not only going to hustle ice cream, oysters and supplies going in with same, but he has already the necessary machinery purchased for the manufacture of mineral waters, ginger ale, pop and all manner of soft drinks.. The machinery will be here in a few days, which will be put up in connection with his ice eream plant. By the first of April he expects to have everything in readiness for business. The new addition is quite an enterprise in itself, costing a neat jag of money and noend to the amount of energy, and here’s hoping Jim will reap a big reward in this world as well as the next. This office is now getting out a twenty-five page cata logue with all thenecessary illustra tions regarding the beneficient fitness of the concern. The complaint for divorce of Joel Hudson vs. Mary Ann Hudson, alleges that the plaintiff has been a resident of this state for two years aud of Adams county for six mouths. That the plaintiff and de-! fendant were married August Ib, 1 1871, and lived togetheras husband ‘ and wife until March 2, 1895. That the defendant for the last three months has been guilty of cruel | and inhnmantreatmentof the plaintiff, by calling him a whore-master, a d—n dog and a drunkard, and the fore part of last January this said defendant went before Bart Quinn, the mayor of the city of Decatur, and filed an affidavit charging this plaintiff with the crime of incest with his daughter, and caused the plaintiff to be arrested and placed under a SSOO bond, which he was unable to raise; aud at this trial said defendant was proven innocent of the charge. The fruits of their marriage is ten children, for which plaintiff seeks custody of, as well as a dislodgement of the martial vows which binds them together. This defendant, by her attorneys Bobo & Coffee, have filed a cross complaint, for divorce, custody of children and alimony. The case wifi be heard and determined at the April term of our circuit court.

NUMBER 21

Sheriff Ashbaueher went down to Indianapolis Monday taking with him Mary E. Merryman, wh< in he left at the reformatory for girls. She is fifteen years old. Lagrippe seems to be predominating with a free hand again, and many are the victims thereof. Several of the members of the family of John T. France have been ill, as well as many others. In the dissolution of the law firm of Peterson, Peterson & Lutz, the first and last named members will attend to their practice individually, and Shafe retires, as we have ' stated elsewhere. The office of Clark J. Lutz will be at the old stand over the Fational Bank. .. It is stated that Cartwright & Headington will erect a uew opera house building in Portland this coming summer, the specifications for same now being prepared. This brings to mind the new opera house which Decatur was boasting of a few weeks. W. 8. Hughes, the projector of the enterprise is said to have been the loser of some SB,OOO in the Florida freeze a few weeks ago, and this loss has compelled him to abandon the project for the present. The Press is indeed sorry to chronicle such a state of affairs, and also sorry that Mr. Hughes is the loser of so much money. Decapir very badly needs ad opera house and some steps ; should be taken to bring the new addition into a realite . Judge Heller made the following ’ specific allowances for the January term of cur circuit court: Bobo & Coffee, attorneys for Wells and Pompa, S3O; J. H. Lenhart, attending court, $81.60; Bowen, Merrill Co., citations, sl6; Miss Ada Snow, reporter January term, $76.25; E. T. Coffee, boarding witnesses, $12.75; Bobo & Coffee, attorneys for Jaccbs, SSO; Frank B. Jaqua, rep rter, $45; P. P. Ashbaueher, sheriff, $106; Daniel N. Erwin, house bailiff, s49.sO;Cieni Macklin, riding bailiff, sls; Albert Shaw, cleaning court room, sl2; William Ward, jury bailiff, $81.50; Tom ‘ Archbold, riding bailiff, $5; L. L. Mason, riding bailiff, $7.50; George Houser, jutj- bailiff, sl2; Amos Foreman, jury bailiff, $1.50; J. P. I Colchin, meals for jury, $3.25; I Jacob Martin, meals for jury, $3.25; regular and special jurois, $929.70. A new industry has sprung up in this state, or at least it is somewhat new to the present generation of things. It is the skunk I farming industry and to many may | seem a queer business. There is said to be but three skunk farms in ! the United States —one in Law- < rence county, Pennsylvania, one i near Buchanan, Mich., theth rd in ' Porter county, this state, the latter being just started by Messrs. . Harbrecht and Seivert, a mile north lof the town of Porter, near the banks of the Calumet riv r. Speaking of the business one of the pro- ; prietors says: “The skunks are : confined in an inclosure >»t several ' acres, a woven wire fence r< sting on a wall of masonry three feet under ground, the latter to keep the animals from burrowing out. In the inclosure boxes are placed under ground. These are sectioned off into stalls for the females to breed in separately and care tor their : young, the apartments being provided. with straw for bedding. Skunks are easily cared for, aud thrive on almost all kinds of animal matter. They breed very rapidly, having two litters every summer, sos from four to twelve each. We 'started with fifty-three femalesaud • and five males All surplus males are killed off as soon as they obtain their full growth. Skunks raised in j captivity are as tame ami playful as kittens, and as harmless. They do not resort to their odoriferous weapons for defense unless fright- ‘ enecl, and are with impunity by their keepers. They are as playful as a yard full of kittens. Wild ones were captured for starting the industry. The animals mate in February. The furs of domesticated skunks are much finer than wild ones, aud are not mutilated by trapping aud shooting. They mature in ten months. A skunk when ! full grown will yield a quart and a ! half of oil which sells for $3 a gal- ' lon, aud the hides sell at 50 cents to $1.75 each.” Messrs. Ha brecht and Seivert are well pleased with their venture, and believe it will prove a very profitable industry. They expect to increasethebusiness until the annual kilig an • two thotisani skunks. Tlf? hide aad oil brings about $2.25 for each animal.