Democratic Press, Volume 1, Number 46, Decatur, Adams County, 29 August 1895 — Page 1

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.

VOLUME 1.

Mi>s Hermie Mann of Gas City, is visiting in the city. Mrs. P. J. Bobo has been quite sick for a week or two past, but is now some betterAgent Bryson of the Grand Rapids, with his family are home from a pleasure trip north. Miss Clara Krill of Bluffton, is spending this week in this city with Mrs. John WisehauptMrs. M. F. Cowan returned home Tuesday from Dayton, Ohio, where she had been visiting relatives. Miss Mamie Terveer is home from Louisville, Ky., where she has been for a month past visiting relatives. Dr. Bader S. Hunt and wife, of Winchester, were guests in this city, over Sunday, of Mr. and Mrs. Lew Ellingham. J. N. Fristoe and wife came home Monday morning from Eagle Lake, where the latter had been outing for a month past. The Columbian Catholic church, of Geneva, will hold a fair for the three evenings beginning Thurs day, September 12. Typhoid fever is raging in several surrounding towns, but as yet has failed to turn its nose in this direction. Let’s pray that it won’t. Charley and Ed Ehinger went up to Ft. Wayne Saturday evening, where they joined their wives in a visit among relatives over Sunday. The Widow Smith, a resident of Mercer street, died Sunday after noon, after a short illness. The funeral services took place yesterday. Word has been received from J. Bart Shirey, stating that he arrived safely at Carrollton, Mo., and stood the trip very nicely. We hope to hear of his ultimate recovery. F. M. Cowan, Jim Touhey, Dick Reed, Levi Polling, P. G. Hooper, H. Callow, A. P. Beatty and E. 11. McLean were a few of the Red Men who attended a picnic at Van Wert yesterday. James Fitzmaurice, of Winches ter, died Monday, after a long, lingering illness with consumption. James Touhey, mother ami two sisters went down Tuesday and attended the funeral, which took place yesterday. John Bolinger, of Decatur, will do the brick work on Mrs. Green’s building and the Buckeye Supply Company’s new room. He has already erected the buildings of Waite, Briggs, Drew, Wegiuiller and Fought.—Geneva Hera’d. The editor of the Press has been presented with a very handsome cotton plantation, which promises a good crop. It is located in the front window of the Ppess printing office and daily attracts scores of curious admirers, who gaze and, as a rule, wonder what it is. Jack Schlegel, our friendly neighbor in the blacksmith shop, was the donor. Saturday evening quite a serious accident occurred on Second street near the couit house, Dr. Coverdale came down street on his bike, and collided with Mrs. Jesse Brandyberry, quite an aged lady living on South Second street. The collision at first had quite a serious aspect, Mrs. Brandyberry being rendered unconscious. She was taken home and medical aid exerted its scientific power, and now she is recovering and will quite probably recover without further trouble. Peter Boze and Maggie Myers came into the clerk’s office yesterday and engaged Clerk Lenhart's time long enough to procure a marriage license and enquire for a J. P. J. L. Swartz and Representative Kelley were on hand and immediately produced Esq. Bryan of Jefferson township. Quite a congre- j gation of county officers and attorneys were present to see the ceremonies performed, but the justice with the happy couple and Swartz and Kelly as witnesses retired to the rear room of the clerk’s office where the ceremony was performed. Representative Kelley was certainly unmindful of his future political aspirations in acting that way. The ' county officers and attorneys pres ent swear vengence and propose to | defeat him for a re-nomination. The south can not monopolize life’s , good things and defy the north in any such way. The Press, however, wish Mi. and Mrs. Boze happiness.

The last of the Portland females were discharged from our county bastile yesterday. Auditor Brandyberry and wife were at Huntington last Sunday visiting among relatives. Quite a number of Decatur people will take in the $5 excursion, September 4, to the northern pleasure resorts. W. H. Miller and JessieA. Aspy secured a marriage license of Clerk Lenhart yesterday and we presume ; ere this they are many times happy. Attorneys McGriff. Bosworth with several other members of the Jay county bar, were professionally engaged in court the first of the week. Misses Celia and Anna Smith entertained several friends, at which time dancing and other! amusements were thoroughly en joyed. James and Peter Kinney, John i T. Kelley, Trustee Buckmaster and a host of other Jefferson township, citizens were attending court here I this week. Alex. Brandyberry, an old resident of Monroe, died last Saturday from dropsy. The funeral took place Monday and was largely | attended. The deceased was sixtyfive years old. Since last week County Clerk Lenhart has issued marriage li-I censes to William S. Berry and Ida Sims, Floyd McCormick and Lola . Eckrote, Christopher Reynolds and i Grace Reynolds. Mrs. Jacob Schafer and daughter Dollie came home Monday from northern Michigan, where they had been enjoying a month amid the refreshing breezes, which are so promiscuous there. Attorney Kinney of Celina, Ohio, w; j attending to a case in court this week. Mr. Kinney is a son of our Jefferson township Kinney on the hill, is a fine young man and is making quite an enviable mark in I the profession of law. Nell Todd is a dad and Bluffton reports state that he struts around bigger than Cleveland ever did. It is a ten-pound girl, born at an early hour yesterday morning, and Mrs. Jennie’s many friends here will be glad to know that she is recovering from the ordeal very nicely. An exchange says there is an editor in heaven. How he got there is not positively known, but it is conjectured that he passed himself off as a minister and passed in unexpectedly. When the dodge was discovered they searched the realms of felicity all the length and breadth for a lawyer to draw up ejectment papers but they couldn’t find one and of course the editor holds the fort. Andrew Murray was arrested on Saturday evening on the charge of stealing a horse belonging to Rudolph Schugg. The animal was taken from the horse rack at Simison & Soldner’s store in Berne and was found near where Murray lives. It had been driven hard. Murray was taken before Justice Shepherd and asked a continuance until he got his witnesses. While hunting some one to bail him, he concluded leg-bail was easiest procured, gave the constable the slip, and is still a free man. The Decatur Democrat puts up I a vicious bulldog kick about the j service given by the Citizens’ Telephone Company, and we suppose in doing this it has at heart the welfare of the town, the interests of the many business men who! comprise this company and the glory of Gol. To begin with, the “little cheap ’phone” mentioned i costs each seyen dollars more than any other short distance ’phone on the market and with few exceptions has given universal satisfaction to all the patrons of the company. One of them has been in this office since the first of last February, and never once has it failed to operate with promptness and dispatch. During the heavy rainstorm of a few weeks ago twen-ty-one numbers were burned out of the switchboard, which rendered a poor service for only a few days, until it could be adjusted. The company is composed entirely of home business men, has given good service, and the kickers against the enterprise are few and far between. It must make the company laugh to hear Blackburn talking about that ’phone in his office. Such nerve is sufficient to give a sane man the ricks.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1895.

Mrs. L. C. Devoss is home from a short visit among relatives at Portland. Mrs Rachel Dorwin died at the home of Theodore Kenndy Tuesday afternoon. The funeral obsequies take place to-day. Sheriff Ashbaucher will take Vance Hotsenpiller to the prison north just as soon as he receives the necessary documents, which will not be longer than a few days. An enjoyable festival will be held at the Concord church, north of Monmouth, on Saturday evening August 31. A pleasant time is expected. Everybody should attend and enjoy a social evening. Miss Ada Williams, of Fort Wayne, returned to her home on Monday evening, accompanied by Miss Rose Martin. Miss Williams had been a guest of Mrs. J. Mar tin, of this city, for the past few weeks. The large packing house and wholesale grocery establishment of S. F. Shumaker & Co., of Bluffton, burned to the ground Monday, entailing a loss of many thousands of dollars, but which, luckily was fully insured. Auditor Brandyberry and deputy are busy this week with the new appraisement — they having re ceived official notification of the increase, which sums up twenty per cent on lands and thirty per cent on lots in this c ty. Gaffer Bros., of Decatur, who have the contract for painting and decorating A. G. Briggs new resi deuce, the Catholic church and other work, are here and aie ready to make contracts tor any kind of painting or finishing.—Geneva i Herald. Rudolph Schng drove into Berne last Friday, tied his horse near the postoffice and went up town to do some trading. On his return the horse was gone, but he managed to trace it over to Linn Grove where he rescued it as well as the fellow who was walking off with it. The ' fellow afterwards gave him the slip, but he got the horse just the same. The ladies of the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and Christian churches are models in the line of workers for the church, and their hustling qualities deserve commendation. Six hundred tickets were sold to their excursion to Toledo yesterday, and about one hundred and fifty tickets were sold at Pleasant Mills. This surely excels any former enterprise in theexcur sion line, and much credit is due the ladies for their enterprise. Sam M. Shugart, the oil producer and contractor of Geneva, was in town Monday and part of | Tuesday, being interested in a court case in which a judgment * was defaulted him last week, sum | ming up $3,700. The defendants failed to make an appearance when the ease was called, but they after ward raised such a panorama of appeals that Judge Heller set aside the judgment and ordered the case tried on its merits. This seems to suit Sam as well as anything, and he will fight ’er to a Corbett finish. We hope Sam will come out whole and bag the big game. On Tuesday, September 24, the Chicago & Erie R. R. will run their 15th annual excursion, account reunion Old Settlers' Association of Indiana and Ohio. Round trip tickets will be sold at all stations between Huntington, Ind., and Marion, Ohio, inclusive, as follows: To Lisbon, 0., and Youngstown, 0., $3.75; to Greenville, Pa., and Beaver Falls, Pa., $4.75, children half fare. Tickets will be good returning any time within 30 days from date of sale and give one stop over on return trip at any point east of Marion, Ohio. Special trains in charge of passenger agents will leave Huntington G a. m., stopping at all stations, these trains will arrive at Decatur at 7:21 a. m. The exceedingly low rates named will enable passengers to visit in Trumbull, Mahoning, Portage, Columbia, Stark, Ashland, Richland, Summit, Media, and other Ohio and Pennsylvania counties, including thecities of Warren, Ravena, Akron, Kent, Mansfield, etc. At a small additional cost, passengers can re-buy tickets to Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, etc. For further particulars address any member of the association, any agent Erie Lines, W. G. Mac Edwards, P. A., Huntington, Ind., or J. W. DeLong, agent, Decatur, Ind.

Fred and Marie Patterson came home Monday from a two weeks’ visit at Winchester. Frank Orcutt has moved into the Holloway residence, just north of the Methodist church. Recorder elect Harruff will move into the house vacated by Mr, Orcutt. Saturday the Decatur Tailoring I Company open their new store room ' in the Niblick building, corner of Monroe and Second Street. They j have arranged things very nicely. Read their advertisement. It was a happy thought when Norve located “that noisy crowd” on Second instead of Third street. But that might have been, for Norve's boar’s nest is located on Second. Much ’er bliged for the correction. The Press prints a letter in this issue from Mrs. J. I). Hale, who is reveling among the luxuriant luxuries in tropical California. The letter is dated at Los Angeles and we feel sure her many friends will be glad to hear from her. You don’t need to take the “jag cure” to relieve your appetite for the fiery liquor. Just eat raw tomatoes, well salted, and lots of them and in a few days the smell i of liquor will be so offensive that to i drink it is next to impossible. Try i it; it’s cheap. In the list of pension increases published Monday morning the i name of Ezra Lister, an old tried | and true warhorse of this city, ap peared. His pension of $lO has been increased to sl4 per month. Ezra was one of the true-blue fight-' ing soldiers, is deserving, and we are mighty glad to note this increase in his pension. An exchange tells of a man out in the western part of the state, who went into his cow stable the other night by mistake mixed up a mash in a box full sawdust instead of bran. The cow merely supposing hard times were the cause of the economy, meekly ate the supper, and the man never discovered the mistake until the next morning when he milked the cow and she letdown half gallon turpentine, a quart of shoe pegs and a bundle of lath. One of the neatest swindling schemes of the day is the contract used by fake tree agent who will probably be around this season to secure orders for trees next spring, says an exchange. On its face the buyer can countermand the order at his option and it is a harmless little sheet full of names of trees but on the back is an iron clad agreement that will cause anyone who signs one lots of trouble, if he wishes to countermand the order, and which gives the firm the light to select any trees they may see fit with which to fill the bill. Look out for them and don’t sign any orders in book form. Thecouncil met in regular session last Tuesday evening, with Mayor Quinn and Councilman Niblick ab I sent. The contractors, Wilding, ■ Derheimer & Co , who constructed i the brick pavements on Second Street, notified the council that the year had expired for the retention by the city of the ten per cent, retained out of the contract price, and requested that an order be drawn for the amount. The request was referred to the street committee with instructions that they report to the contractors certain necessary repairs. A resolution was intro duced ordering Court Street paved, | but without action it was referred to the city engineer and street commissioner, and they were ordered to report at a special meeting to be held this evening. The committee on fire department wire instructed to ascertain the additional amount of hose that will be required after the waterworks are in operation, and to receive bids for furnishing it. H. Bohnke presented a request for rebate upon his liquor license for the unexpired time; request was refused. A resolutson was passed | ordering brick side-walks on the south side of Adams Street along ; the property of Hemry Chronister and — Sullivan. The street I committee reported that J. E. Ells-' woith had failed to place his side walk on North Third Street on the grade as ordered, and the city attorney was instructed to draw up a resolution for passage at the next regular meeting, compelling it to be done at the expense of the property. The following claims were allowed: Oliver Markins fifty cents, M. M. McConnell $lB, Oliver Auteu fifty cents, Alex Hoyer $3.50.

Duke McC. Stoops, of the Peters- | burg Democrat, was in circulation I among friends here last week and over Sunday. For many years' Duke was manager cf the Democrat, and he still retains many ’ ■ friends in this city and vicinity. A postal from Rev. Gregg ad-| dressed from Grundy Center, lowa, said, “please announce services at the JI. E. church next Sabbath; I will be home.” His congregation , will appreciate this information. , Himself and wife have been absent from the city a month. The followi»g-named personscan find letters addressed to them at the Decatur postoffice: W. W. Vanarsdale (3), J. H. Ritchey, Elizabeth Wynn, Calvin H. As- 1 bury, Sophia Beitler, J. A. Boots, Win. Earnest, Jane Hudson, Sarah , Huster, Mary Pershible, Joseph , Tonnellier. Miss Ethel Hale walked in on | her family here Monday evening, j 1 after nearly a year’s absence in '• California. She is looking healthy, ' strong and was much benefited by • her absence. She is one of the ! selected teachers in our public ( schools next year, and came home 1 to take charge of that position. The Clover Leaf route (T. St. L. ( & K. C. R. R.) will issue low rate . excursion tickets from all Ohio, Indiana and Illinoios stations for the St. Louis exposition, September : 12 to October 19. Sousa’s grand | 1 concert band. Special inducements • to parties of ten or more. The i great St. Louis fair October 7to 12. 1 Veiled Prophets’ parade, October 8. ! Fred Voight of French township,j is a mighty sore individual about' now, and he has a right to be. I 1 Monday while diiving into Monroe I his team frightened at a freight | train, which was doing a job lot of, , switching there. He was dragged ‘ i and jolted around the street for i some little time, which seriously I I bruised him up and rendered him i unconscious for a time. He was i taken home and is now getting over ■ the shock all right, but he is sore as ! a gum boil in bee time. Buena Vista got on quite a razee i last Saturday evening. The Notj tingham boys thought to have I some sport (as they call it) by j cleaning out the town. There was I quite a crowd collected in front of | the postoffice when one of he Not- j tingham boys threw a stone and struck Sol Shoemaker, knocking him down. This seemed to be the signal for the fray and a general free-for all tight ensued. Frenchy, Harvey Eckrote and several of the Nottingham boys received knockdown blows in the scrimmage. Stones and other missiles flew thick and fast, but the Buena boys came off victorious. There were several black eyes and bruised heads as a result. The session of the state board of tax commissioners for this year! will end to-day. The board is still listening to the complaints of persons and corporations who feel that I they have been assessed too high. Several railroad companies were j; represented Tuesday. Fred S. ; Fish, of South Bend, maintained I. that the Chicago & South Bend I railroad company is assessed too i high. It is a short road operated < for the benefit of the Studebaker manufacturing establishment. Mr. : Rodd, general tax agent of the ! Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago t railroad, spent some time with the t board in an effort to convince its . members that the road is assessed i too high as compared with the | < Lake Shore & Michigan Southern ; i r< ad. The Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne ' ’ & Chicago is assessed at $56,000 a ! < mile; the Lake Shore & Michigan 1 Southern at $40,000. Mr. Rodd < maintained that the roads were of I < equal value. He endeavored to < show the board that the Lake Sh >re ] & Michigan Southern had kept the ; gross earnings a mile down by com- i puting in the milage of several unimportant roads up in Michigan, i Mr. Rodd said he did not mean to intimate that the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern was assessed too low: his point was that the Pittsburgh, Fort Wapne & Chicago j was assessed too high. The board promised to examine carefully the figures Mr. Rodd left with it. The Wabash railroad was represented by P. B. and William V. Stuart, i The board assessed this road ■ $26,000 a mile on main track. The attorneys maintained that the assessment was too high; that the road is not prospering and cannot afford to pay the taxes demanded by the state.

NUMBER 46

Mayor Quinn and wife were at Burrows, Carroll county, this week attending the funeral of Mrs. Min- ’ nie Wasson, the mayor’s favorite neice. The deceased was sick but ’ a few hours, being perfectly well Saturday and Sunday at twelve o’clock was a corpse. The famous Zerkle triplets-— Frances, Ruth and Esther—were conspicuous in this city hist Thursday. All three now wear dainty slippers from J. H. Voglewede’s immense stock of foot coverings, and we suppose are strutting around as big as any person in the universe. They are beautiful and healthy-looking kidlets and give promise of living until the world comes to an end. The case of James M. Ault against the Chicago & Erie railroaad was tried last week and resulted in a verdict for the railroad company. The case was tried in the January term 1894 and the plaintiff obtained a judgment of SBS, but the railroad company appealed to the appellate court and the case was reversed and sent back for new trial, The second trial resulted in favor of the railroad. J. W. Teeple wasattorney for Ault, and Mann & Beatty for the railroad. The plaintiff demanded $4,000 damages for being put off a train. It’s a funny thing—the ’phone—isn’t it.' Just as you are busily engaged in arranging some business affair with a man a few blocks away, a young lady’s sweet and somewhat gleeful voice is audible and you become so interested in her story (which she doesn’t know she is telling to you) that you forget to be annoyed at the interruption. The story is that of the adI ventures of two very gay girls who 5 “did” Decatur in masculine cos- . tume a few evenings since. We’d i like to give the tale to our readers just as we heard it, but—well, we ' daren’t do it. The last republican legislature of Indiana passed a law on “pernicious literature” which makes it very doubtful just how far a newspaper is allowed to tell the truth. In the circuit court cases have acted upon as follows: Wilson H. Shepherd vs. Samuel M. Shugart, | dismissed on motion of plaintiff; j State ex rel. Lena Volmervs. Peter Mougey, set for trial Monday, Sep- ! tember 9; Isaac Zimmerman vs. John Rupright et al., and Isaac Zimmerman vs. Fred Schafer et al., both set for Tuesday, September 10; Timothy Coffee vs. Wilda Watts et al., set for Monday, September 9; State vs. Wm. H. Ferguson et al., dismissed and defendants discharged; State vs. Perry Robison, continued by agreement; State vs. Vance Hotsenpiller, $lO fine and two years in the penitentiary north; [ Grace Reynolds vs. Christopher; i Reynolds, divorce, motion fn r ij Unc pro tunc entry; State ex rel. Peter I Soldner et al. ys. Charles Duer et al., set for yesterday (Wednesday); Simeon Huffman vs. Jerry Roe, set ; for to day (Thursday); M J. Dorwin vs. Lemuel D. Adams et I al., two cases, set for Monday next, September 2; Louisa J. Walters vs. John A. Walters, divorce granted plaintiff with custody of the minor child, Win. D., until further order of the court; State vs. William L. Bell, continued by agreement; Smith Shoemaker ex parte, Wm. Drew allowed $65 as attorney fees and commissioner ordered to pay same; Anna S. Lehman vs. Maria Ann Lehman et al., judgment correcting mortgage, finding $1,647 due plaintiff and ordering foreclosure and sale; Clara O. Drake vs. Thos. D. Drake, divorce granted, Obed H. Macy and Lucinda Macy to have custody of minor child, Gracie L. Drake, until further order of court; James M. Ault vs. C. & E. R. R. Co., judgment that plaintiff take nothing on his complaint and that defendant recover of plaintiff its costs and charges; Perry Robison vs. Amos S. Gillig et al., judgment against defendants for costs on plea in abatement; Amos S. Gillig et al. vs. Perry ■ Robison et al., and Perry Robison vs. Amos S. Gillig, both dismissed jat costs of Robison, Gillig & Co.; ) State vs. Vance Hotsenpiller, motion for new trial; Decatur National Bank vs. Mary Kinsey et al., , set for Monday next, September 2; i State ex rel. Nora Ditughtry vs. Richard B. Johnson, reset for trial on Thursday, September 12. Two new cases have been filed, as follows: Gates Iron Works vs. Perry Robison et al., on account, demand $150; Fred O. Gephart vs. John W. Parr, on note, demand $l5O.