Daily Democrat, Volume 1, Number 234, Decatur, Adams County, 10 October 1903 — Page 1

VOLUME 1

MANDATE IS FILED The Citv Os Decatur Must Pay or Show Why.

WAS FILED THIS AFTERNOON. Contractor J. S. Bowers Sues City. Denands $17,789.62 for Building the Elm Street Sewer. At three o'clock this afternoon John 8. Bowers contractor filed the necessary papers with the clerk of the Adams circuit court to mandate the city of Decatur and demanding th it he be paid the amount due him by the city for constructing the Elm street sewer. The ’amount in controversy is 117,789.62, that being the value of the improvement i- shown by the report of city en-■-’ineer Fulk, filed January 7, 1902. The case is entitled the State of Inulna on relation John S. Bowers vs City of Decatur, D. D. Coffee May-

DIES SUDDENLY. I Prominent Woman Dies at Sea. Mrs. Lambert Tree of Chicago, Expires Very Suddenly. Special u> Dally Democrat. New York. N. Y. Oct. 10—Mrs. Tree, wife of Judge Lambert Tree, the well known Chicago jurist, formerly United States Minister to Belgium and Russia died aboard the steamer Campania at sea, Thursday evenng. Her death was very sudden and unexpected and was due to syncope. A BAD FALL. Levi Schafer Meets With an Accident. Levi Schafer of rural route six was in town today scarcely able to walk from injuries received in an accident of Thursday. He had climbed into an apple tree and was busy picking the juicy fruit for win ter use when he missed his hold and fell. No bones were broken but he was badly bruised and his nock, shoulder and hip were severely sprained.

The Dai i a I )emocrat.

or and councilmen S. W. Peterson. C. J. Weaver, T. C. Corbett, C. D. Teeple. 8. B. Fordyce and H. C. Stettler. An account of the mandate proceedings was published in the Democrat a few days ago at which time a few days notice was given to the city council. Since then a number of meetings of the committee on streets and sewers have been held, Mr. Bowers meeting with t lem and it was hoped by many that a settlement could be effected. At times this seemed possible and then again impossible. Surveyor 1 McKean was employed by the committee and went over the line re]K>rting that the greater part of the sewer is practicable. Mr. Bowers agreed to give a 110,000 bond to the council that he woud rebuild the Shamp branch and make it sat isafetory. However the committee | which is composed of S. W. Peterson, H.C. Stettler and S. B. Fordyce ; could not agree and it is possible that they will file rei»rts, a majority and minority. As it stood Mr. Peterson would not agree to settle. Mr Stettler was willing and Mr. Fordyce we are informed refused |to sign either a favorable or unfavorable report. Mr. Bowers waited until three o’clock this afternoon when he filed his suit. The mandate as stated asks that the court I order the city to pay the amount lin controversy or show why and ' inearyt a tedious and expensive law ' suit.

GRAVEL FARM. J. S. Bowers Purchases Valuable Land. John 8. Bowers of this city yester j day purchased the Jerome B. Hopkins farm near Camden, Jay county. The farm includes an eighty j acres gravel bed, one of the largest and most valuable in all Indiana. The gravel is of the best grade and the lied is one of the deep-st known in one place running to the depth of eighty feet. At present he gravel ■ is being hauled into Blackford coun ty, a distance of fourteen miles. The railways arc arranging to run brunches into the pit and Mr. Bowers will soon be doing a big business in gravel. * AT LOS ANGELES. A Letter Received From Rev. C. G. Hudson. A letter fresh from Isis Angeles. California finds Rev. and Mrs. C. G. Hudson delighted with their new home. Both are enjoying a campaign of good health, and according to instructions they desire to be remembered to those who may inquire. During the pastorial career here of Rev. Hudson the writer was regularly and that means weekly, "invited up to take our medicine,'’ and from force of habit this kind and clever invitation was again repeated in the letter mentioned. — Notice to Gas Consumers. Decatur.. Ind., Oct. ilth. 1903. To Gas Consumers— The supply of gas will lie turned off next Sunday, October 11, 1903, from X to five o'clock on account of changing part of the lino from the old to new Held. J. 8. Bowers,Mgr.

DECATUR, INDIANA, SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 10, 1903.

CROOKS ARRESTED Desperate Men Captured at Warren. One of Tl.em Tried to Shoot Marshal Covault and Shot Himself in Hip. Thursday morning about 10, two tramps dropped into The were looking and their actions were watched. They began drinking. About S:3O in the even ing one of the tramps became intoxicated. Marshal Co vault met the fellow in front of the Marcus Tam livery Itarn and placed him under arrest. The fellow put up a fight. In this he drew his revolver and attempted to shoot the marshal. But Mr. Covault, was four years sheriff of Blackford county, was no< to be scared. He also had nerve and in the scuffle the tramp shot himself in the left leg. The bullet entered the inside of the calf of the leg and took a downward course, going just far enough to be felt on the side of the leg opposite where it went in. The fellow fought until bystanders, had him handcuffed. Dr. Leyman removed the ball and dressed the wound. The prisoner was searched and skeleton key, a file, a razor, the revolver and other articles of a suspicious nature were 'found. His partner was also arrested and it is beleived the parties who I are custadions are wanted by the , police somewhere and the catch may prove a good one.

WERE IN SESSION City Dads Were at Work Last Night. R. S. Peterson Appointed City Commissioner.—Thirteenth Street Improvement. A continued regular session of the city council was held last evening Mayor Coffee and members Peterson, Weaver, Stetler, Teeple and Corbett were present. Mr. Pet ersn moved the adoption of the resolution to allow the county to improve Thirteenth street by macadamizing same. The resolution was adopted unanimously and the city agreed to maintain and keep the street in repairs after same is constr noted. The improvement begins at the corporation limits on Thirteenth street and runs north to Monroe street. Mr. Teeple moved that J. 8. Peterson be allowed the sum of <67.50 for insurance on the city property and motion carried. In the matter of an extension of the water pipe lines the same was referred to the water works committee u|x>n motion. The election of a city commissioner to take the place of Peter Kirsch was then taken up and on the first ballot R. S. Peterson received four votes and was elected. A discussion on Elm street sewer affairs followed but with no definite results, the committee not tx'ing ready to file its report- and at eleven o'clock a motion to con tinne the session next Monday evening carried.

GOOD NEIGHBORS. Mr. Gerke Will Soon Have a New Bam. The neighbors of William Gerke are showing their faith in the Golden Rule just at present and in a manner that is appreciated by Mr. Gerke. It will be remembered that the latter gentleman suffered a loss of several thousand dollars by fire some two weeks ago, his two large barns with contents being totally destroyed. It was necessary for him to have a barn this full, the necessary timber was secured and now each day a dozen neighbors are helping to rush the building up. Work is progressing nicely and Hie big barn will soon be completed. ROAD CONTRACT Three Bidders on North Preble Road. John S. Bowers Was the Lowest Bidder and Landed the Contract. Bid} were opened for the construction of the north Preble macadam road, three bids being filed and their figures being a Imost too close for comfort especially between Calvin Miller and J. S. Bowers. Julius Haugk argeed to construct the road for <10,397. Calvin Miller <10,273, John S. Bowers <10,269. There was but a difference of <4 between the two latter, but the difference was sufficient to give the contract to Mr. Bowers on his bid. It is thought that owing to the lateness of the season, that i>erhaps no work will; be done on this road until next spring. It was feared that to work the grade would place the road in worse condition than it would toj leave it over winter, and then carry the work to conclusion without any interruption. A contract with Mr Bowers is being drawn up and will likely be signed yet today. Beside opening the bids and awarding the ; contract for this road the hoard took • some further action on the extension of the Decatur and Monroe road. HAD NICKNAMES. Old-Fashioned Terms of Railway Employes. In conversation, with a former rail-1 reader, who was on the pay roll about fifteen .yearn ago, it was learned by a Democrat reporter that nearly all railroads bore some nickname which usually conformed with the initials of the line. For instance the G. R. &1. was styled ] the “Go Rugged and Indeix'iident line” which is obviously u inisno mer ultough the term was used gen erally among employees. Perhaps the Cininnati, Hamilton A Dayton bears an inconsistent name but its initials permit of the most striking interpretations of all. The C. H. &D. R. R. is said to stand for "Charge High and Darn Rough Riding.” The Pan Handle P ('. C. & Bt. L. was converted into "Poor Comfort and Charges Steep" and also the L. E. A: W. is styled Leave Early and Walk.” The custom among railroad men to so term roads has Ix-en dropped and this fact is probably due to the consoli dation of the great lines into systems which have absorbed the smaller roads. In the place of nick names the mads are styled "The Permsy” or "P Company” The Lake Short', Erie” or Wabash, according to the system to which it belongs,

TWO SURPRISES. r C. D. Murray a Host at His Own Hotei. . i Ralph Knoff Reminded of His Anni versary and a Good Time Results. ! Charles D. Murray, proprietor of [ the Murray Hotel had a birthday Friday. He refuses to state how old he is but its past twenty one some. Anyway the event Jwas duly celebrated by a number of his friends who called on him last evening and enjoyed an elaborte six o'clock dinner especially prepared by Mrs. Murray, which fact is a sufficient guarantee that it was delicious. The guests included Mr. and Mrs. P. J Hyland, Mrs. Charles Patton, and family, Mrs. Sutherland, Mrs. N. Blackburn and daughter Miss Nellie and Mrs. Cheny of Waterloo. Mr. Murray received several handsome presents and the event was a happy one every minute and for all concerned. Another birthday surprise oecured last evening with Ralph Knofl one of Decatur's popular young men. the occasion being his twenty secopd anniversary. A number of his friends gathered at his home on Thirteenth street and the hours pissed rapidly with cards and flinch I as amusements, followed by refreshments and an old fashioned taffy pulling. Later the crowd adjourned to the Entre Nous Club rooms and danced the light fantastic until the j'wee sma’hours. It was a joyous occasion that will make Ralph re- ; member the day for .years to come. He received a number of useful and pretty presents. Miss Myrtle Mc- ; Donald of Portland, was an out of town guest. HEAVY DOSE. Edward Hase Fined SIOO and Costs. Plead Guilty to Operating a Gambling Room.—Was Indicted Last April. Edward Hose who has operated a gambling room at Geneva for several years appeared in court thisi I morning and answered to the case of the state vs Edward Host 1 und Harry Steed for keeping a gaining room. He plead guilty and Judge Erwin fined him a hundred dollars and costs. He stayed the docket ami will arrange to pay the fine as soon as possible. This is the heav lest fine ever imposed by an Adams county court for misdemeanor and Mr. Hose apparently was nut look1 ing for such a heavy dose. The limit however is <SOO so that Mr. Hose may st ill consider himself lucky as this is the third ap|M*arance before this court The indictment was returned last April but lx>th Hose and ; Steed left the State before they could lx* arrested, und have just returned. The case against Steed has been dismissed Judge Erwin has taken the right course to stop gam bling, his idea Ix'ing to punish the man who (qierutoH such a place and to punish him in such a manner that it will have some effect.

NUMBER 234

FURNISH CEMENT. Bert Nichols Sold Cement to the Springfield Company. Bert Nichols left this afternoon for his home in Michigan, after being in the city a short time on business. While here he closed a contract with the Springfield & Fort Wayne Traction Company for all the cement they will use in the con - struction of their power station and other buildings as well us culverts to be built on the grade between this city and Fort Wayne. The c infract is one that will amount to many dollars as the cement necessary for all this work will be no small item of expense. GREAT DAMAGE. Rains Cause Big Loss in East. Railroads Are Tied L'p and Some Less of Life Reported. Special to the Daily Democrat. New York, N. Y., Oct. 10—The heavy rains continue and have caused the rivers over the east to rise. Much damage is reported from Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark, Passaic. Ea<on and other places. Many railroads are tied up and some loss of life is reported. COURT NEWS. Routine of Business Transacted Today. In circuit court this morning business was transacted as follows: Nicholas Gasser vs L. W. A Luckey et al amended complaint filed, rule to answer. Melvin Davis vs Matilda J. Davis divorce case, evidence heard and taken under advisement. Florence A. Schnepp vs Leanord W. Schnepp, divorce case, dismissed and costs paid. In the matter of the partnership of Johii Busenbark deceased und Joseph Osburn. George W. Bousmna appointed receiver and ordered to take charge of property, bond fixed at <2,000. A new case entitled Jane Acker vs Walter D. Ayers und Edward C. P-ltz, suit to revive judgement was filed by attorney Teeple. CORONER'S VERDICT. Little Orval King Died cf Convulsions. Deputy Coroner Will Zwick has returned his verdict in the death of Orval King a two month old child who died suddenly Thursday morning. The verdict reads that thechihl died of convulsions. His imrents live two miles south west of Wil), shire. The baby was not sick when they went to bed but the mother awoke about three o'cl<x)k the following morning to find the little one lying cold in death. The exact age was two months und seven days. Marriage Licenses. Clyde D. Young to Emma J. Miller. Archie I). Hodison to Edna Denn. James K. Martz to Rachel A. Martz .