Democratic Press, Volume 1, Number 49, Decatur, Adams County, 19 September 1895 — Page 1

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.

VOLUME I.

Dave Eley was attending to business at Portland Monu»v, W. E. Keubler and wife were tort Mayne visitors Monday. Two new members were added to' the roster at the Methodist church last Sunday. Attorney Manley of Marion, was at Geneva last Friday on business returning that evening. Godfrey ( 'hristen of the gas office is at Berne this afternoon on business interesting the company. Dyonis Schmitt and wife are the proud parents of a baby boy. which was born last Thursday night. Mayor Quinn gave Bill Bell a fine of $25 and thirty days in jail. The charge was whipping his wife. Judge Heller is holding court at Portland this week, the regular session of their circuit court beginning Monday. Bishop Thoburn, the missionary bishop of India, makes an address at the Methodist church to night, which every one should hear. Charles Ihomas, a Bluffton young man and known to some extent by Decatur people, died last Monday morning after a lingering illness with consumpti* n. For the Ft. Wayne races the GR. I. will sell excursion tickets to Ft. M ayne and return at rate of 90 cents. Selling days Septembr 23 to 28; return limit September 28. We return thanks to Jacob Weg miller of (leneva, for cash to the extent of a year’s advance subscrip tion. Jake is all fixed up in his new business room, and feels bigger than any one. Bev. Siler of Portland, will conduct a camp meeting at Monroe, beginning next Saturday, and continuing nine days. Bevs. Boyer of Muncie, and Smith of Indianapolis, will assist in the work. The Hartford City Telegram is this week moving to its own roof and fig tree. The Telegram is a sparkling, bright and newsy paper, and is to be congratulated upon its success in the business world. Judge and Mrs. Studabaker left the first of the week for a sight of the cotton exposition at Atlanta, as well as many other prominent and important public seeable sights in the south. They will be gone several weeks. Court street will be macadamized ; with white lime stone. The wail by a few to have the street bricked is blunderbus of the worst kind. The street isn’t used much, and the macadamizing will last and answer all purposes. Mrs. John Wisehanpt is to-day entertaining for dinner Mesdames Meibers. Schafer, Duck, Steele, Alliger. Snellen, Boop, Beynolds. Archibold, Weaver, Beynolds, Myers and Edger. Everything in the category ol eatables is on display. Will Bosse is papa of a new daughter, that was born at his home Sunday night. The mother and baby are getting along nicely, and Will is doing as well as the circumstances will permit. The youngster tipped the beam at ten and a half pounds. All indications favorably point to a successful race meeting here Friday and Saturday. Some of the best speed that has been making the fairs in this proximity, are on the ground, tuning up to be ready to take a hand in the fuu. The racing on Friday and Saturday will be worth seeing, so don’t fail to attend. The Catholic fair at Geneva com menced Thursday, September 12, aud closed last Saturday evening. i The attendance every night was : exceptionally good. The ladies in-;’ terested there feel very grateful! to 11 the Decatur people for services i rendered, especially to Misses Flora : Confer and Tena Radamacher, and also the Misses Lou and Anna San- ■ i ders of Delphos, Ohio, and Bose |: Snvder of Tiffin. Ohio. Miss Nona ; Martinof this city drew the hand- < some lamp donated by Holthouse ■< & Smith, Miss Amelia Smith the 1 chair donated by Mr. Yager. Thursday night a handsome doll < was voted to the young daughter of 1 Mr and Mrs. G. W. Bolds; Friday night a silver cup and saucer to s jev C. Maujay; and Saturday j night a set of harness to Mr. Mack- 1 lin and medicine case to Dr. Black. < Thej' realized about S4OO, which will be used to furnish their new ’ church- fair W£Usa dficided ‘ 3UCCCM.

Miss Mena Myers left Tuesday morning for Delaware, Ohio, where she will enter the Ohio Wesleyan | college. Had Quinn received a broken leg Monday, which will keep him a- | bed for a few weeks. The injury happened while playing. The new drug store of Aspy & Miller at Geneva, is right up to date The boy s have a fine room and do a real clever drug business. Bev Hoiton, the fluent pastor of the Presbyterian church, was unable to fill the pulpit last Sabbath, owing to a temporary illness. He has now recovered. Commissioners from Mercer Co. were in joint session with surveyor Fulk and George H. Martz, the dis tic Ity being a ditch that interests both sides of the state lines. Sheriff Ashbaucher took prisoner Hotsenpiller to the northern prison last Thursday, returning home Friday. Hotsenpiller goes foserve a two years sentence for forgery. Mrs. Bichard Burrell living west of the city, has been quite ill with typhoid fever, but is now past the danger mark on her road to recovery. She is the daughter William Blackburn. The excursion rates on all regular train to the Portland fair are as follows: From Decatur 80 cents for the round trip; from Monroe 68 cents; from Berne 45 cents; from Geneva 35 cents. J. A. Waldron of Chicago, is visiting in the city with Charles S. Niblick and wife. Mr. Waldron walks by the aid of crutches, having had one leg cut off iu a railroad accident a few months ago. The Democrat advertises a balloon ascension, and just w’hy that pigeon hearted editor can favor such a base swindle—as he formerly took pains to name it—is a mystery to many business men about town. Edwin France as administrator of William H. H. France, will sell stock, crops and farming implements on October 15. The sale will take place at the farm of the deceased, three ami a half miles south of Decatur. Excavation on the ground for the new Fred Schafer residence began the first of the week. The house in question promises to be one of the most handsome iu the city. It ; will stand opposite the Methodist church on Monroe street. W. A. Kunkle and Mr. Porter of Bluffton, were iu the city calling on their many friends, and judging by their pleasant countenances, both had many. The f >rmer is one of Wells county’s youthful but most successful politicians—from a democratic point of view. Marriage licenses this week have been issued to Ora W. Ferris and Paulena Steiner, William Bricker ' and Bertha E. McKissick, John A. Hill and Lucinda Trim, Frederick L. Watson aud Minnie Swank, William C. Black and Annie Merrell, Charles N. Dutcher aud Flora A Warner. Miss Ella King, aged thirtyeight, suicided at Ossian Monday, by swallowing a dose of morphine and strychnine. She had been an inmate of the Richmond insane as ylum several years ago, and just before her death informed her mother that she felt her mind failing again and had taken the poison to prevent a second incarceration. She died twenty minutesafter swallowing the poison. Last Tuesday evening the council fixed the tax levy for city pur poses at sl, on the hundred. This makes the total tax levy for the city for the current year, for state and county and city purposes $2.62. There has been a slight increase in the total amount of the levy owing to the fact that the school trustees added 25 cents on the sl, to their levy. We of course favor any measure which tends to make our school system successful, but it appears to us to have been an unnecessary increase in view of the water works improvement. Fort unately, however, notwithstanding the water works improvement, the council were able to reduce the levy for city purposes 2 cents under last year, and this slightely relieves the strain the schoo' trustees have imposed. The council by the reduction iu the tax levy for city purposesagain show their financial ability. The croakers who predicted that water works would swamp the city can now console with each other in their disappointment.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19. 1895.

Samuel D. Beavers has been appointed administrator of Conrad Amspaugh, deceased, as a notice elsewhere will tell you. B. J. Terveer and wifecame home Saturday’ night from a week at Louisville, where they 7 visited relatives and took in the grand army encampment. Mrs. C. Rademacher is just now recovering from a severe attack of I billions fever, which was serious in the extreme before a change for the better took place. Miss Blanchey Boby of Fort Wayne, has returned home after a pleasant visit with Mrs. J. W. Place. She was sick several days ' while here but has fully recovered. A Krumenaker has a record in I the we’l cleaning business that can’t be beaten. During the summer he has cleaned forty-two wells, and what’s more is dead willing to clean more. Samuel I). Beavers as executor of the e- tate of Conrad Amspaugh deceased, will sell a lot of personal property as a notice elsewhere will tell you. The date of sale is Friday, October 11. New glaring headlights have been put on theidght trains on the Clover Leaf. The lights in question shine forth with a brilliance that is something lovely, and can be plainly seen for many miles. The Mandolin dub gave an ice cream social Monday evening, the proceeds of which will be devoted for the Irenefit of the club. They have finely furnished rooms and are putting on more airs than a government mule. A notice elsewhere will thoroughly inform you of a sale by David Eley, receiver of Robison, Gillig & Co. The date of sale is Saturday, October 21, waen all the real and personal property belonging to this firm will be sold. Mel. Malott of this place is the happy possessor of a charming wife from Decatur. They arrived home Monday evening and are now at home to friends. The News joins in wishing them a long and happy life.—Ridgeville News, Jonathan Bowers the trustee of Kirkland township, died Tuesdaynight, after a short illness with typhoid fever. The funeral services takes place this afternoon at two o’clock, from the Beery church. He was a highly respected citizen of that township, with many friends who will mourn his death. J. C. Moran of Jefferson township, was in town yesterday, and informed ns that he had been employed by Trustee Stuckey to help instruct Young America in French township. We personally know of Mr. Moran’s ability in this line, aud can congratulate the schools there over his selection. While at Geneva last Friday a Press representative took a peep at the handsome A. G. Briggs mansion, which is just now going through the finishing ordeal. By the middle of next month it is expected to be completed. It will be warmed by a heater in the basement, has all the latest conveniences and comforts, and will be a beauty all over. From the hallway a winding stairway takes you to the second floor and the cupalo. A portico extends across the front and in all we could offer no improvements. A Press reporter took a peep at the racers stabled at Steel’s Park, where they are being rubbed up and worked for the racing there to morrow aud Saturday. They named them to us as Eddie R., Prize, Ashwood, Hoopart, Nellie V., Huber, Dollie, Allan Wilkes, Red Elgin, Silver One, Rettley Boy, Irish King, Andy, Dick, Bob Granger, Royal Duke, Jr., Frank Hughes, Frank D., Eastbrook K ing, I Melstrom, Lillie Coldwater, Boon j Wilson and Woodshed. Five or six more will come in from Terre | Haute to-day, and then the finest and fastest speed ever arranged in ■ out city for public exhibition will be on neck. The horses come from , Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Fort i Wayne, Terre Haute, Bluffton, Van Wert, Warren, Ossian, Hagers-! town and Rockford. On Friday the county trot, county’ pace, coun ty run and colt trot are on the program. Saturday the free for all pace, free-for-all trot, free-for-all run, and five mile handicap bicycle race, ending with a lialooii ascension by Prof. Knarr. This last feature- is not to be overlooked. Come to town » :d see the racing.

W. H. Eichhorn, associate attorney with the Hon. A. N, Martin, was looking up legal business in this city yesterday. Col. and Mrs. M. B. Miller arrived in the city Tuesday morning from Rockford, Illinois, and are visiting with their daughter, Mrs. Lew Effingham. J. C. Patterson and wife, 11. 11. Rice and wife, Mrs. Rice and John S. Bowersail came home from Oden. Mich., Sunday morning, wherethey had been resortingfor several weeks. Mrs. Jessie Townsend remanied at Petoskey to take treatment for an eye, that had been causing an I untold amount of trouble for some time. She will be home some time i during the week. Druggist Nachtrieb ami wife are' •he proud parents of a son and heir, born last Thursday’ night. I While both had sorter set their mouths on a daughter, yet the new addition pleases them immensely. Pomroy Simpson of Bluffton, died last Thursday- from hemorage of the stomach. The deceased w-as a young school teacher, and was known by many of our people here. R. K. Allison aud wife attended the funeral. Herman Yager and John Heller have more business this week than a stack of tramps. They have charge of the grand stand and other privileges at the race park, and will make things just right aud don’t’cher forgit it. R. B. Allison and wife came home Sunday morning from their summer outing at Oden, Mich. Both are looking quite well, and report a pleasant time, with plenty of fish and fun. Oden seems to be a coming resort of prominence. Presiding Elder Simpson was present with bis fleck at the Methodist church in this city last Sunday evening and administered sacrament to the vast membership of the church, as well as all other Christian workers, who were pres- | ent. He preached a very interestI ing sermon, and impressed nearly | every one with his eloquence and i devotion. Monday evening at nine o’clock i Rev. E. T. Gregg performed the 1 marriage cermony that made Dr. Black of Geneva, and Miss Anna L. Merrell of Chicago, husband ami wife. The bride arrived over the Erie lines at eight o’clock that even ing, and was met by the Dr. and driven to the parsonage where the ceremony was performed. Tuesday they went to Wayne and from their to Geneva yesterday, where they will make their future home. The Dr’s, many friends here and else where will unite in extending congratulat ons to himself and wife. At the elegantly- arranged home of Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Bryson last Thursday night, the members of the musical club, opened their season ofpractical practice. The club members consists of Mesdames Viola Allison, Francis Bryson, Lelia Doty, Estella Thomas and Nellie Effingham, and they quite outdid them selves in making this occasion the star of the season. The house was simply beautiful amid its distinguishable decorations of flowers, potted plants and club colors. After the arrival of the guests a pro gram of solos, duets, waltzes, mar- ! ches, and the like were rendered Iby the various members, al) of which were highly entertaining, i and displayed any amount of music- 1 al culture. Then came refreshments consisting of ice cream—in I the national colors—cake aud i orangeade. After refreshments the fun began. Every one had to pro j duce anillustration of a song, the title of which was given them, and then every body guessed what everybody else had endeavored to illustrate. Well, talk about your artists; they were all there. They drew men that looked like the last rose of summer, and woman that resembled a wart on an elephant’s nose, and every thing else iu proportion. They were immense. However, Dan P. Bolds guessed all but a few and took the red ribben, while Mrs. J. Q. Neptune got disgusted with life among so many horrible attempts at hardpainting, for which she received a boobyprice. Those present besides the club members and their husbands were J. Frank Maun and wife, J. Q. Neptune and wife, Dr. DeVilbiss and wife, A; R. Bell and wife, D. P. Bolds and wife, J. S. Niblick and wife, Dan Sprang and daughter Ellen, Rev. Gregg and brother .Hiram, and Mrs. Osborne.

The last will and testament of i Godfried Thieme was probated at the county clerk’s office Monday. : It gives to his surviving wife all his peisonal property and real estate consisting of sixty acres in Union township. After her death ' the said property goes to Frederick Thieme, as er paying $260 each to i Amelia, Antonia, Ida ami Pauline Thieme. Frederick Thieme was appointed executor. Judge Vaughn rendered his decision Wednesday morning iu the Albert Goff case, charged with keeping a house of ill-fame. Mr Goff’s punishment is a fine of SIOO and ten days in jail. The Judge accompanied his decision by a verywholesome talk io the guilty man which was highly commanded by all who heard it. When he entered his plea of guilty- in the present case, Goff endeavored to secure a light fine by- advancing the promise that he would quit the business. He made the same promise on a former occasion, but kept on conducting a house of ill fame nevery theless. —Bluffton Press. Last Tuesday evening the session lof the council was enlivened by a | war of words between the Mayor i and Dr. Coverdale, growing out of j the purchase of hose for the fire I department. However it wasn’t long until “not a wave of trouble rolled across their peaceful breasts.” and the council decided to purchase 1,060 feet of paragon 2-ply hose of the Eureka Fire Hose Co. of New York; price eighty cents per foot. This result was not reached however until ten ballots had been taken and the Mayor was compelled to cast his vote to decide a tie. Theadore Kennedy requested permission to erect a small wooden structure for a fish house opposite Adolph Hart’s barber shop, but on account of the fire limits it was refused. The proposition of John 8. Bowers to furnish the city 500 yards of crushed stone at ninety cents per yard was referred to the street committee. City engineer Tyndall submitted his report of assessment of cost of construction of Byers’ alley sewer; on motion it was referred to the street committee, and they were ordered to meet on Monday, October 7, 1895, at 7 p. m. to hear objections, and the clerk was ordered to give notice to property owners. Wilding, Derheimer & Co. tiled their bond agreeing to keep Second street in repair for four years, natural wear excepted, and the clerk was ordered to draw a warrant in their favor for the ten per cent retained by the city out of the original contract price. The finance committee reported the financial needs of the city for the ensuing year to be as follows: Interest on water works bondss3,loo j Water works bonds maturing2.soo ■ Interest on city general debt 1.570 i Salaries of city officers 2.600 ■ General street purposes3.3so > Street lights2.loo j Bond due in January. 965.000 ■ T0ta120.220 ESTIMATED RECEIPTS. Cash on hand*3.3oo From liqur license 8.300 January. 96, tax collection7.ooo Total 13.«»> I To lie raised by levyli.iHO I A resolution was then passed fix ing the tax levy as follows: < lener al fund 38 cents, water works pur poses 50 cents, and interest fund 12 cents. Total, SI.OO. a reduction over last year of 2 cents, in addition to the general levy, the following special levy was made: On j male dogs $2, on female dogs 85. aud a poll tax of 50 cents on each resident over 21 years and under 50 years of age. In this way $15,000 will be raised, leaving a surplus of | about SB,OOO. There wassome talk of making the dog tax practically prohibitive, but after consultation ■ the council concluded that would be unjust to theowner’sof valuable i dogs and would not decrease the number of worthless ones. An or dinance will probably be passed requiring the marshal to shoot stray dogs, and it is understood that the marshal has already commenced practice to improve his marksmanship. City- attorney Mann reported that the case of Terveer vs. The City, to restrain the city from opening S-xth street north of Mafiison had been decided in favor of the city, but that the restraining order would be in force until the motion for a new trial had been passed upon by Judge Heller. Residents along Indiana street petitioned the council for a water main on that street-? eleven residents agreed to j take water. The petition was referred tothe waterworkscommittee. I

NUMBER 49

’ JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP. Ablaze with Sensational Excitement.—Alex Ramshire Missing. Jefferson township is knee deep with sensational excitement, caused by- the sudden and mysterious disappearance of Alex Ramshire, aged eighteen years. Young Ramshire makes his home part of the time with Tom Gallogly, although his parents reside in Portland, and the past summer he has been working fora farmer in Jay county, not many miles from New Cordon. Last Wednesday night Ramshire drove up to Gallogly's about nine o’clock, driving a nice horse and buggy, a part of which had been borrowed from a neighbor, and which he promised to return the following morning. At Gall 'gly’s he met Andrew Pickring, a neighbor in that locality. It will be remembered that this Pickring was mixed up to some extent in our courts at the time of the murder of Daisy Reynolds, which happened in 1891. He afterwards cleared himself and was discharged. He | works when he can get it and feels like it, but that isn’t much of the ■ time. On this night he openly told some of his acquaintances that his financial exchequer possessed but one lone, solitary nickle. Pickring signified his intention of going to Corydon, but finding that young ■ Ramshire was bound for Geneva said he would go there with him. : Ramsey- was known to have some $lB in money with him. They left together in the buggy, and since , that time Ramshire has not been seen or heard of, aud the impression prevailes among the people in Jefferson, that the boy has been foully dealt with. Pickring failed to show up at his home again until Saturday evening. lie was attired i in a new sparkling suit of clothes, ’ and otherwise gave evidence of having a good, giddy time. When ;isked about Ramshire, he stated that I. he had changed his mind since leaving Gallogy’s home, and determin- ' ed to go to Detroit to look for work, and had paid Ramshire fifty cents to drive him to Willshire. Hefurth;er slated that they drove within i three miles of Willshire, he got out ; of the buggy and walked the balance of the way, and that Ramsey returned home. Pickerir g made , all these decisions about going to Detroit, after stating not an hourprevious that his earthly possesions summed up just five cents. A search at the boys home in Portland, and where he worked has failed to find any trace of him. The mystery thickens, aud excitement runs high. If the boy fails to turn up j by today an attempt will be made to know the truth about it, if such a thing is possible. Olive Elnora, daughter of Adam and Alceua Hower, was born February 16, 18S2, and died Monday, September 9, 1895, aged 13 years, 6 months and 24 days. Nora was a faithful pupil in school, her teacher bearing testimony to the i fact that she needed no reproof in the school room. Eager to learn she gave promise of high attain- ! ments in education, but the Father . had different plans for her and has taken her, we trust, to hims< If. : She was a regular attendant a- the Sunday school which she dearly I loved. Wednesday, September 4, i she was tak- n down with typhoid ! fever. She was very sick from the ! first. On Sunday she had a very’ ; bad spell. She had been delirious but for a little while at this time she was rational and told her father and mother that she was J going to leave them and wanted them all to meet her in heaven. She recovered from this bad spell however and remained somewhat easier, but delirious, until Monday i when she grew worse agaiu and passed away in the evening about ! eight o’clock. The funeral services were held in the St. Paul church Wednesday morning, September 11, and a long line of carriages followed her remains to this city where she was buried iu Maplewood cemetery. County attorney Erwin was at Indianapolis the first of the week, and as a result, our commissioners and surveyor will not get to take a ride to the state capital, where they would have to interview the supreme court, where they had been called to account for certain actions relative to the Beery ditch which traverses through Clover Leif property. A compromise was reached, l and the matter satisfaetorilly settled, and the ditch will be coustruct;ed as surveyed.