Daily Democrat, Volume 1, Number 22, Decatur, Adams County, 5 February 1903 — Page 1

VOLUME 1

J. WALDRON DEAD An Illness of Only Two > Days Results Fatally. Former Popular Docatur Citizen Died at Chicago Last Evening. Word was telegraphed here this morning that James Waldron, - Sr., father of Mrs. C. S. Niblick, had suddenly died yesterday at 6 p. m., in Chicago, at the home of hfs nephew, Fred Jaycox. The news came as a severe shock to the citizens of Decatur, as Mr. Waldron was in our city not mere than three weeks ago, and apparently in as good health as ever. The cause of his death was hemorhage of the lungs, aud ho had been sick but two days when death came. Mr. Waldron was a former resident of Decatur, having located here in 1886. He continued his resident in this city for seven years, during which ii<> gained the respect of his fellow citizens, and proved himseM a true and honest man. 1n'1893 he went to Chi cago and run a train as conductor on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois rad * road until he was maimed in a wreck to such an extent that he was forced to give up that position. Later he became a ticket collector for the MetJ ropulitan West Side Elevatisl railway of Chicago, and he held that position up to the time of his death. The children are Mrs. C. S. Niblick of this city and James A. Waldron, - Jr., now of Indianapolis. Owing to the fact that the heavy storm had broken down the telephone and telegraph wires, the relatives and friends here did not even know that Mr. Waldron was ill, receiving a letter at the same time as the telegram, which conveyed the information of his death. The re resins will arrive here tomorrow after uoon over the Chicago A Erie at 3:15 and the funeral -services will be held from the home of C. S. Niblick, on north Third street! at ten o’clock Sat urday morning. PROPERTY IS SOLD Eli Sprunger Buys R. 5. Peterson's Farm. Deal Made This Afternoon and Posession to be Given March First. The beautiful surburban home of Robert S. Peterson was sold this aft ernoon to Eli Sprunger, the consider ation being about 510.000. The farm is located just south of the city, the residence being inside the corporation and is one of the handsome homes of the city. The farm consists of eightythree acres of as goo-1 laud as can be found but of doors and has been own en by Mr. Peterson for about twenty years. In the trade the home now owned by Mr. Sprunger and located on North Second street is conveyed to Mr. Peterson and the latter will remove his family there as soon as possible. The depl has been under consideration for several davs and the contract was closed and signed at three o'clock this afternoon. Mr. Peterson will very probably hold a sale of his farm personal property soon. NARROW ESCAPE. Well Known Business Men Experience a Shock. A few nights ago a body of citizens went to the electric light plant to see some rats electrocuted which hail been caught there. They were in a wire trap with a wooden floor, to which two wires were fastened. The current was turned on, but had no effect on the rats because of the wood en floor, which is a non conductor of electricity, but instead the walls of the room became charged with electricity. Instead of rats, E. X. Ehinger and C. S. Niblick, two of the party were nearly electrocuted. They were bad ly shocked, aud considered themselves fortunate in escaping alive. SUNDAY SERVICES. The Presbyterian church will worship Sabbath morning at the parsonage. All the other services will be at the baptist church as usual.

The Daily Democrat.

FALSE REPORT. i I Story That Rural Mail Boxes Will Be Furnished Free a Mistake. Postmasters are being notified by the postoffice department that the report which has been widely circulated in print that the government would i furnish without charge, rural mail I boxes, which in the future would be under protection the same as the mail boxes in the cities, is untrue. How the report came to be circulated is uni known, but it was published throughout the entire country. Rural residents warmly received the new plan. > as many have lost mail under the ■ present system. Boxes at isolated ■ corners, some distance away from houses, have been robbed by unscru- j pulous persons, in hopes of finding money in the letters. According to ■ the false report, the'government here- ‘ | after was to take charge of all boxes, ■ | and persons found tampering with them would be prosecuted the same I as those who rifle or destroy boxes in the cities. While it is not an impossi- j ’ hility that the government furnish ' rural boxes to all residents on the routes, the time when such will happen is far distant. The daily delivery in the country is just removed from the experimental stage and at present : the cost of maintaining it is so great that the government could not even think of furnishing boxes. • ARMY OF HOBOS ij — Jail Filled With Lodgers Over Night Again. i i The Result of Decatur Not Having a Stone Pile is Apparent. Decatur must certainly be adver(tised as a city wherein reside the best hearted people on earth. AnV way about every trajnp in the country manages to get here and each night our officers are calleci upon to give shelter. We have mentioned the mat ter several times before but thjngs get , worse instead of better and it begins to look as though the city will have to ; adopt some plan or the county will, have to build an addition to the jail. | Last night eleven men, some .of them professional tramps, others men who look as though they could pay fora bed if necessary, were ill. They gave ■ their names as follows: B. F. Meyers, Kokomo; John Dubert, Toledo; Mike Murphy, Terre Haute; William d ickc Huntington. Indian?, Charles f Eihson, Trenton, Ohio; Irving tomson, Detroit; Alfred Rrunkey, Detroit; John Lima, Harrisburg,Pennsylvania; 1 J. H. Arumand, Muncie:George Caldj wenn, Haliton. Ohio and Frank Deal, i Chicago. The men each had a symf pathetic story, most of them saying that they had started some where dur • ing the warm weather and were caught half way by the cold winds of ; yesterday. Be this as it may, it is not right that Decatur should have all of ] them to care for when other surround- > ing cities by a simple ordinance gets rid of them. If a stranger strikes - town, broke and half frozen.it is but - right that the police or other officers . give them shelter and we would cert tainly object just as vigorously if they . did not. tor it is to be hoped wewould i nol leave anyone die in our midst ■ without giving assistance, but we do object to them coming here, knowing that they can get lodging and for that purpose. The city council should do something and do it betore any more of the spring delegation of Coxey’s army arrive. If a stone yard is es-, tablished it will be surprising how quick the trampswill shun us. t ANOTHER VISITOR. 5 3 I , Mr. White of Berne Will Board With Sheriff Butler. f ’ James White, a Berne citizen, came • to town this morning for a two weeks ■ stay with Sheriff Butler at the county ! jaif. lie will remain thirteen days, ’ having chosen that manner to pay off | ’ a fine assessed against him by a Berne justice of the peace. White had his fun yesterday when he imbibed a little too much fire water and forgot that Berne had reformed and no ■ longer has use for he who Iwketh on - the wine cup. The result was his arI rest, conviction aad a fine of $12.50, that had to be paid or stayed.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 5, 1903. X •

TRACTION LINES. A Few Tips as to Probabilities For Decatur. A Line That May Connect With the Chicago & Erie Here. The stragetic value of an air line railway between Chicago and Columbus, ()hio, has long been known 1 to great railroad magnates and the I advisability of constructing ' the same I has often been considered by the i Pennsylvania system. As it is, the Panhandle route is the shortest con nection between the above named cities, an'd having no competition to force it in the initiative, the Pennsylvania has never taken any apparent steps more than that of a preliminary survey towards the construction of such a line. Besides, that great system needs but to connect Fort Wayne with Columbus while any other rail road would be handicapped in entering the city of Chicago. Although improbable as it may seem for a raad like the Toledo A Ohio Central, a pigmy among giants, to attempt this connection, yet it is so, and that road is at present pushing its lines west, its ultimate terminal being Chicago. The Columbus branch of that railroad at present extends to St. Marys. Ohio, and the terminus will be’ pushed to Cehna by the end of this year. It is a well known fact that the Erie railroad is a bitter competitor with the Pennsylvania lines, and it is hinted among railway officials that the T. & O. C. railroad will connect at Decatur with the Erie, an affiliated road, thus gaining its desired entrance into the city of Chicago. COMING HOME. Boys in Blue Will Return From War Soon. Early next month there will be a large number of volunteer soldiers dismissed from the service in the Philippines. It is claimed that many whose time has not expired will be let go. There will lie an influx of happy Americans in the near future, and it is safe to state that the boys in blue will hie away to their homes in the “States” as soon as they are dismissed from service. There are a number of Adams county boys who have been in the service for some time. It is claimed that the action is to be taken by the government owing to the more favorable conditions in the east, and that the hitherto large army will not be to preserve peace. Those discharged will be given full time discharges of an honorable character, just the same as if they had served their full terms of enlistment. There will be many of the young soldiers made happy.

MEAN BUSINESS. Berne Citizens Are Determined to Wipe Out Liquor. That the people of Berne, or a part of then} at least, are determined to put .that town on a strictly “dry” basis, may be seen from the following clipping from the Berne Witness: It’s no use talking, the liquor traffic must die, “for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” The devil and his accomplices, the big-bellied beer tanks and shriveled up whiskey fiends will soon have hml it their way long enough. A fund of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) has sub scribed by free holders of Berne and Monroe township, which is to be used for no other purpose than to fight the liquor business. SLIGHT CHANGE The Bill Regarding County Clerk's Terms Amended. Senator Askren's bill legalizing the election of the county clerks chosen last November and providing that they shall take office hereafter on January Ist following elections. The bill was amended on motion of Sena tor Parks to provide that where clerks have not vet taken office their terms shall begin January 1, 1904. This is to allow the present clerks to have the advantage of an extra two months, and it was explained that all the clerks have agreed to this.

GOVERNOR SIGNS Bill Regul4i»t> Teros »f Court in Adams Cotnty is Law.' Governor Durbin yesterday attached bis signature to Representative Dirk son’s bill regulating and fixing the time for holding court in the twentysixth judicial circuit! Adams county, this act being the necessary duty to confirm the action of the house and senate and make said bill a law. Henceforth each term of court here [ will consist of but nine weeks instead | of ten, and owing to an emergency j ,clause attached to the bill the act | “oes into effect at once, even shorten, ing the present term to nine weeks.' The new act make four weeks’ less, work in each year, and means a great: ileal to the clerk and attorneys, as it gives them ample time for their duties, i A GOOD QNE Smith Oil Well Producing Sixty Barrels a Day. The Riverside Company Will Drill . Another Well at Once. Members’of the Riverside Oil Co. are in high spirits today aud we don’t blame them if all reports are as we have heard them. The new well on the Smith farm, which came in fast week w.as tested last evening and from four until eleven o’clock, thirty five barrels of the valuable i fluid, regular Rockefeller brand, the real article, Was pumped. This easily makes the well a sixty barrel producer and the best in the east part of the ! county. Besides this one the com- ' pany owns several other fair producers aud there spems to be no doubt i but that the boys will soon be realizing a handsome profit from their investments. At two o’clock this after noon a meeting of the stockholders of the Riverside was held at the office of C. J. Lutz and the question of drilling another well was discussed. The result was that they decided to drill on the Goodman farm and will begin as soon as the rig can be removed and arrangements completed. The oil business in Adams county is about to open up right and from present appearances there will be great "doings.” SERVICE COMPLETE.

The New Telephone Wire for Fire Alarm Purposes Ready for Use. The special fire alarm ’phone service to the water works pumping station has beeß completed and is readj f use. The line extends from thecentral office to the water works and is to be used exclusively for fire service, thus obviating anv and all difficulty wearing in the use'of the public ’phone. Any steps taken in- the bettering of Decatur’s fire protection or other metropolitan effects should be heartily commended, for in the years to come, when our citv is sliced by railroads and <<owded w ith manufact urlt dustnes. above grade crossings, 2 11 calls will be imperative. ANOTHER RUNAWAY. A Spurt on Main Street Causes a Little Stir. Raymond. Bremerkamp mixed up in another runaway this afternoon, and showed his nerve in good shape. The horse started at VanCleef’s corner, being frightened by a shaft breaking. The animal tore along nt an ugly looking pace, and those who witnessed the affair held their breath for an instant. He turned west on court street and south on Third and was finally controlled by Raymond near the John Niblick home. No damage of any consequence was done, though it liMiked bail for a few minutes. GRANTED JUDGMENT. Court convened before Suuire Reynolds at nine o’clock this morn ing and the ease of Dr. A. G. Holloway vs Lawrence Schlegel was called. The suit was one on an account and as the defendant failed to put in an appearance a verdict was returned against him for the full amount $9.30.

in court. A Two New Cases Fifed Early This Morning. Brother Refuses to Turn Over .*51500 Belonging to His Sister’s Estate. At the opening of court this morning two new cases were filed with the clerk and immediately placed on the docket. The first was entitled Bernard J. Kohne vs. Catharine E. King, Nellie Blackburn, adnir., and W. S. Hughes, same lieing a suit to foreclose a mortgage of st>oo. The sum of SBOO is demanded and the case was filed by P. G. Hooper, attorney for plaintiff. Another case was entitled John C. Glendenuing, adminis trator, va. David Wheeler.and was filed by Merryman & Sutton. Eliza Wheeler died in 1900, leaving a valuable estate. For some time prior to her death she made her home with her brotner, David Wheeler. Afterwards Johu C. Glendenning was ap pointed administrator and in looking up affairs he discovered that SI,OOO in gold, silver and paper money and other valuables to the amount if SSOO were missing. They were known to be in possession of David ' W heeler, the defendant in this suit, but to the repeated demands of Administrator Glendenuing he has paid not the slightest heed. After using every effort to secure the property belonging to the estate and as a last resort he left the matter with his attorneys who Hied the suit this morning. He demands that said WhVeler either produce the missing property or that the court render judgment in the sum of $1,500. ALL OVER. Smallpox Has Vanished at Winchester and Quarantine Lifted. We are more than happy to say to our many readers and friends that the smallpox is gone, and there is now nothing left to do except to pay the bills and clean up a few of the houses. The cases have all been dismissed by the physicians and the guards were all taken off last Monday evening. Business has been resumed and people from the surrounding • country and towns are coming in aud transacting business as usual. Our health officers are receiving many compliments both from home and abroad for , their prompt and efficient efforts to crush oflt the dread disease. It was I indeed remarkable that no cases were contracted after it was known what it was. We beg to assure our friends that they can come to town and transact business without danger, with probably less danger than for several months past Winchester Herald. A NEW WAY. How They Do Things in Our Neighboring State of Ohio.

A very strange pro.-.••■ding has just come to light in Cleveland. The peo pie* of Cuyahoga county awoke the other morning to find that their board of commissioners, without anv public intimation t t heir purp we or public discussion of their plan, had secretly voted to erect a s7,ooo,ooocourt house and engaged an architect at a cost of $70,000 to submit plans. When aski*d why the people had not been consulted and infoftned of the action, a mem her of the board of commissioners coolly remarked: “We said nothing about the matter to the newspapers because we didn’t see that it would interest anyone.” And Cleveland is the home of Uncle Mark Hanna and other distinguished statesmen. J. N. AGAIN. The Great Philosopher Visits Our City at Night. J. N., the great and only philosopher, went to Portland this morning where he will do that city a kindly turn. He arrived in this city last evening from Bluffton where he says he has put the pressure on that wicked city so strong that it can hardly breathe. Ho will lie in this city in the near future and make one of his most interesting speeches at the court house in behalf of the beautiful city of Decatur aud its people.

NUMBER 22

AFTER THIRTY YEARS A Former Resident of the Cecity is V»iting Here. Jesse Coffman, wife and son, of Kansas, are the guests of relatives and friends here for a few days. Mr. Coffman formerly lived near Pleasant Mills, he being a son of Daxul S.Coff man, still remembered by the old pioneers as the auctioneer. Mr. Coffman left here in 1869, thirty-three years ago, going to Moran, Kansas, where lie has been located since. About a year ago he sold his farm for the snug sum of $36,000, and after investing in some safe property proceeded with his familv to see the country. They went to California for five months, then to Washington,D.C., for a month, since which time they have been visiting in Ohio. After ten days here they will go to Chicago, and after a month or so will go to Erie Kansas, where they will make their future home. Mr. Coffman is a brother of Mrs. Henry Steele, Mis. Basil Andrews aud Mrs. Abe Beery. He also has a number of other relatives here. He says he can see many changes in Decatur, in fact about the only places he recognizes is the office of Dr. Trout on First street and the Close buildings on Monroe street. When he left here Decatur couldn’t boast of a single railroad nor of scarcely anv other improvement. He is enjoying life after many years of hard work and says that at no place in his travels has he enjoyed life better than at Decatur. BROTHERS FIGHT. Three Brothers Indulged in a Friendly Mixup.

Last evening about five o’clock a fight occurred just south of the Erie railroad, in which three brothers endeavored to show how much brotherly love they had for each other • and for about ten minutes they fought like madmen. The young men had been quarreling in front of the Schafer saloon and it was decided to go down to the stave sheds near the Erie tracks and “scrap” it out, however, one of the trio could not hold his temper down long enough until he reached the famous fighting ground, which has the name of being one of the best-places to fight in the city, and fired away, knocking one of hie "dear” brothers down and was about to commence on the other when he got one of those “love taps” betwe n the eyes which ended the fight. Be sides ■ few black eyes and a number ot teeth knocked out, the boys were no. Otherwise hurt. BIG DAMAGES. Yesterday’s Heavy Winds Breaks Wires Down. H. M. Romburg of the American Telephone Company, is in the city today and says the heavy wind storm of yesterday had wrought sad havoc with the telephone and tele graph lines over the country and the American company were losers considerably. The storm was centered about Chicago, and nearly every wire out of that metropolis tyas broken. • under Mr. Romberg in Ohio, vfere hurried to the scene to help make the repairs and that gentleman took advantage of the leisure time thfls forced upon him by criming home. The damage about Chicago was quite serious and was a severe loss to business as no telegrams could be sent r received. The lines about here were not damaged to any great extent. BACK FROM’ THE WEST. Will Christen, who went to Guthrie, Oklahoma, about three months ago, and opened an architect’s office, has returned to Rockford. He says Guthrie is a great place and that there are many openings there for a young man in almost any line of work. He liked the country very much but Mrs. Christen was not so well satisfied and they decided to return home. C. B. L PAYS $2,000 BENEFIT. The C. B. L paid Mrs. Celia Eliinger two thousand dollars this morning, the extent of a policy that was held in that order by the late Warner Ehinger. who died December , 29,1902. The C. B. L. is one of the the largest mutual benefit associa lions in the United States, and the promptness with which all benefits are paid can not Ire outrivaled by any similar organization.