Daily Democrat, Volume 2, Number 95, Decatur, Adams County, 2 May 1904 — Page 1

VOLUME 11

AN EXPLOSION Clover Leaf Engine Has Serious Accident Train Due Here at 6:43 Last Evening.—Fireman Wustner Fatally Injured. Special to The Dally Democrat 3:30 p. m, MARION IND., May 2—An explosion of thejboilers of the Toledo, St. Louis & Western locomotive drawing the No. 4 east bound express due at Decatur at 6:43 occurred five miles east of here at five o'clock last evening. Fireman Joseph Wustner, of Delphos was fatally injured his head being crushed and his body badly scalded by escaping steam. Engineer Mayer leaped to the running board and escaped uninjured. The train was running forty mites an hour and was carried for a quarter of a mile by the velocity. It is almost miraculous that the passenger coaches were not wrecked. The accident occurred at Roseburg. Grant county. MRS. WOLFE DEAD Mother of Mrs. E. J. Bailey Was Supposed to be In Good Health, and News Came as Shock to Friends. Mrs. Catherine Wolfe, mother of Mrs. E. J. Bailey of this city, died this morning at her home at Westfield, New York. The sad news was received by "telegram at noon and Mrs. Bailey will leave for Westfield tomorrow morning. Mrs Wolfe had not been ill so far as was known here and it is beleivI'd her death was sudden. She was in rather poor health during the winter but had recovered and was thought to be in good health. She was sixty seven years cld and was quite well known here having visited in Decatur several month.' some years ago. She was also the mother of Mrs. Clever and Jack W’olfe who have many acquain tances here. The message did not state whether or not funeral arrangements had l>een completed.

THREE SERVICES The St. John's Church at Williams Celebrate. The St. John's, Lutheran church at Williams yesterday had three very interesting services that in the morning bring a dedication of a handsome new pipe organ just installed at a cost of $2200. In the afternoon the services were in celebration of the twenty fifth anniversary of the church at Williams. The day closed with an organ recital in the evening and in all it will long bo remembered by this largo and prosperous congregation.

The Daily Democrat.

SLOWLY SINKING Judgt Studabakcr’s Condition Much Worse Today. Judge David Studabakerr is slowly sinking and all hopes for his recovery have been abandoned. The turn for the worse came Saturday night up to which time some slight hopes were entertained for his recovery. However the physicians say that the heart is practically worn out and only stimulants keep him alive. During last night the Judge rested fairly well but this morning he again became worse and during all today he has been slowly sinking. He is unconscious at inervals, but only for a few moments. At three o’clock he was still alive but it was feared he can not live more than a few hours. MAY SESSION The Commissioners Met Today Macadam Road Contracts Continued to Saturday, May 28th. The commissioners met in regui lar session and opened the ball by appointing Henry Dirkson, jr., as a reviewer on the P. J. Bryan ditch jin the place of C- W. Yager. A liquor license was granted to Will- ' lam Hartings. Failure to give noi tioe in an Indianapolis newspaper spoiled all intention to receive bids on six macadam road contracts, that were advertised to take place at ten o’clock. This caused the board to change the date of letting these contracts to Saturday, May 28. Four more roads were added to the list and now on Jthis day set, ten j roads will be contracted, they being the Pleasant Valley A- Oak Grove extensions number one and two, Monroe township central, Geneva Ceylon & Wabash township number one, East Washington number two, Decatur & Monroe number three, West Washington number three, Decatur & Bluffton number two. East Washington number three and Decatur <& Monroe number four. FAST TIME Made on Chicago & Erie by Special Train. The Erie special which passed through this city carrying a party of Erie officials, including J. J. Hill, Superintendent Underwood. General Manager Stuart and Chief Engineer Deer, reached Chicago at 4 o’clock, having covered the distance from Marion to Chicago a distanoe of 269 miles, in five hours and twenty seven minutes. The train was delayed by several slow downs on the Lima division while on the west end it was laid out five minutes at Athens to meet No. 4. Ten minutes were lost at Lomax in the stop to take water and seven min utcs were consumed in changing engines at this point and permiting the Officials to take a fleeting glance at the suroundings. It can be seen that nearly a mile a minute ajieed was maintained over the entire C. & E. division— ’Huffington Herald.

DECATUR, INDIANA, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 2, 1904.

CHURCH WEDDING Beautiful Service Performed by Rev. Allen Miss Margaret Blackburn and Floyd Tester Married at Presbyterian Church. The rumor of a church wedding was sufficient to crowd the spacious and commodious Presbyterian church with people last evening and the ceremony was one of the most beautiful ever wjtnessod, the contracting parties being Miss Margaret Blackburn and Mr. Floyd Tester. After the opening anthem Rev. Allen read the scripture story of an oriental wedding from the twenty eighth chapter of Genesis, and announced that his text for the evening sermon would be “Christian Marriages.’’ His discourse was a happy, appropriate and learned one and included many good lessons. Rev. Allen said that the questions considered in the old Bible story, race, religion and the outlook for a livlihood should still be considered by parties who think of marriage. Concluding his sermon he stated that Miss Blackburn had been the first person to join the Presbyterian church siilce the erection of the beautiful new house of worship and was now the first member to be married therein, a peculiar coincidence. Walking down the aisle Rev. Allen met the bride and groom at the door and led them to the altar where the ceremony was performed in a simple and pretty manner. The bride looked charming in a neat brown traveling suit and the groom wore the conventional black. Mr. and Mrs. Tester left last evening for Marion where they will make their future home. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Blackburn. She is beautiful, accomplished and popular. The groom is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Tester'of this city. He is an industrious and clever young man, at present being engaged in the barber business at Marion. The Democrat congatulates. SCHOOL WORK Board of Education Hold a Meeting L. W. Johnson Re Elected as Truant Officer of Adams County. The board of education was in session several hours this morning, the meeting developing an unusual amount of inerest in school work. There was but one absentee, J. H. Reiff, every one of the other six teen members, being present. For tL« use in the public schools of the county, they adopted an inter mediate history and a supplementary library book and both will later prove of great value and merit in the public schools of the county. The election of a truant officer was also a drawing card epecially to the throe applicants, L. W. Johnson, J®hn Burkhead and Elijah Reynolds. The vote gave the honor to Mr. Johnson, who for the pastjyear has proven so efficient in filling this position. The entire morning was devoted to a discussion of methods in school, every member manifesting a keen lively interest. The Imard oom prises the trustees of the twelve townships and a member of the various school boards.

FREE DELIVERY Carriers Began Their Duties foa Uncle Sam Today. Free city mail delivery was in augurated in this city this morning and already the convenience of the system is apparent. Carriers Dorwin, Vaughn and MillsJ are on duty and each made four deliveries today to the down town district and two to the residence portion. The boys had gone over their routes and secured the names and addresses of their patrons and little trouble is anticipated. However to handle the mail of a city the size of Decatur and make no mistakes would be practical impossible, especially for a few days, hence the citizens should assist them in everyway possible. The carriers are gentlemen andjno doubt will prove clever and competent men in the business. DR. GUTCHER Owner of Larwill Sanitarium is Dead Was Formerly a Huckster.—Originated Novel Treatment. Known by Many Here. Dr. Michael Gutcher, proprietor of the East Elkhart sanitarium, near Larwill and one of the most widely known characters in northern Indiana, died Sunday morning after an illness of two weeks’ duration. Death was directly- the result of congestion of the lungs following a general breaking down of the system. On Monday Dr. Schuman, of Columbia City, was called to attend him and he seemed to be progessing well enough uutil Thursuay, when congestion of both lungs set in and his death was due to this cause. Dr. Gutcher was a native of Germany and was seventy-two years old. He had lived in Whitley and Kosciusko counties for over forty years. He was at one time a huckster or itinerant merchant, and afterward claimed to have discovered a method of healing certain diseases by the use of barks, herbs and a system of steaming the feet I and legs. He was very wealthy and his big sanitarium was always filled with patients. Many Decatur people have treated with him and with good results often. ATTEND FUNERAL — Pocahontas Lodge Members at Berne Today. Eighteen Decatur ladies members of the Pocahontas order drove to Berne today to attend the funeral services of Mrs. Dr. Wilson who was a member of the order. The jtarty included Mesdames James N. Fristoe, James Bain, Cy Weaver, Frank Cowley, Prof. Craig, Ed Murray, Emerson Beavers, Albert Graber, Jesse Smith, Jacob Eady, Enos Peoples, Bud Brokaw, Charles Baker, A. P. Beatty, Al Gerard, John Barnett and Miss Orpha Burnett. Several other members of the order went to Berne on the afternoon train. DANCING LESSON. Miss Ida M. Harrison of Fort Wayne will give her regular dune ing lessons here tomorrow afternoon and evening, at the C. Y. M. S. Club rooms. These events are delightful and the class numbers will undoubedly all attend as the social dance which follows the evenng lesson is a pleasure and a good drawing card.

FROM MONTANA Miss Sophia Mangold Writes Letter Interesting Statement of Facts Concerning That Great Western State. The Decatur Democrat, Decatur, Indiana. Editor Democrat:— Hearing that you were desirous of having a little piece of news from Montana, will do my best at furnishing you with a few facts which may be of some little interest to your readers. Os course you all know of the crisis in which this state was plunged during the recent closing of smelters and mines. However, they have been reopened and business is better now than it has been anytime since October last when the shut downoccured. Without making mention of the fact, Montana up to recent years has de voted almost all of her time and attention to mining and smelting of ores as well as sheep, horse and cattle raising, however agriculture is attracting more and more attention each year and upon driving through the country in season one can see the waiving grain, at the same time being reminded of good old Indiana. Prices in every thing of course are high here but wages are according. It seems to me from what little I have had occasion to have done, it cost about five dollars to look at a newspaper man. We are having just fine weather now but the rainy season will soon he on but it is of only short duration. The winters are mild, and although the thermometer sometimes runs as low as 38 degrees below, we do not notice it or suffer more from tbe cold than you would in Indiana at from 10 to 12 degrees below. The pleasant part of this extremely cold weather is that only last 2 or 3 days and then we have what we term a “ebinook,’’ the same being a warm wind from the Japan current across the Pacific. Sometimes during the holidays it is mild, just like spring days and in passing along the street one can see the doors of the stores wide open. There are several places of interest here one being the place where Lewis & Clark passed through on their famous expedition, the same place being very near to the Great Falls of the Missouri, said to be { next in size to Niagara in the United States. When the water is high the Fulls are very beautiful indeed. | Another interesting feature is the “Grant Springs’’ which are thej largest of their kind in the world. , Another full I forgot to mention is the rainbow. At a certain time of the falling water at just a certain angle we can see a beautiful large rainbow, this fact make a great many think they exceed the Great J Fall in beauty. 1 fear I have already written at too great length and so will close thanking you greatly for so kindly remembering me with your daily, it is indeed very interesting and proves a great comfort to me. Again thanking you, sign myself, Sopha Mangold. I — Old Settler Dead. William Keohem, one of the earliest settlers of Jefferson townffiiip, died Saturday evening, after an illness dating back almost a year, in which a complication of diseases figured. He was seventy-eight years old and had lived in that section of the county for a long number of years. The funeral was held Monday with interment in the Loughdorow cemetery near his home. | ** £■• -MV*

NUMBER 95

AT HOSPITAL Mrs. Dr. Wilson of Berne, Died Saturday at Fort Wayne. Mrs. Victoria J. Wilson, wife of Dr. R. S. Wilson, of Berne, Ind., died at St. Joseph’s hospital at 2 o’clock Saturday morning. A week ago last Thursday [she underwent an operation for gallstones. She was improving satisfactorily and rhe ultimate recovery was thought certain. Sunday morning she was left alone in the room for a short time and when the husband entered some time later found her dead. Heart failure is supposed to have been the cause. Mrs. Wilson was a native of Adams county and leaves besides her husband one daughter nineteen years of age. DrWilson was a graduated from the Fort Wayne College of Medicine in 1890 and he and the deceased had many friends here. The remains were sent to Berne on the G. R. &. I, leaving here at 7 o’clock last evening—Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. SURPRISE PARTY Fred Bohnke, Sr., a Victim of Friends I His Seventy-Ninth Birthday the Occa-sion-Over Two Hundred Guests Present. A big birthday surprise party was held yesterday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bohnke, sr., who lives just three miles east from our city, with Mr. Bohnke being the victim, and for once in his long career as a citizen of our county he was forced to acknowledge the fact. The affair had been quietly arranged by his wife and children and all during last week their home took on an air of mystery which Mr. Bohnke was unable to solve. But when 218 of his relatives neighbors and numerous friends burst in upon him he began to realize that the mystery was clearing and his mind began to review past (‘vents and he at last figured out that he had reached the seventieth mile stone ! of his life, then all was clear. Never before in that neighborhood was a surprise party so well attended, and never before was such a fine time had. The morning and afternoon I were pleasantly spent by playing I numerous games and by- repeating ancient history and recent events and during these conversations Mr. Bohnke discovered another event 1 that bad long escaped his mind and I attention and something else to long {remember the occassion by and that was that he and his brothers just fifty years ago to the day arrived in | this county and became American ! citizens. At promply twelve i o’clock all guests were invited in to {their spacious dining room to parI take of the sumptions dinner that Mrs. Bohnke had prepared and after all were seated another surprise was in store for Mr. Bohnke. Upon turning his plate over found a beautiful solid gold watch chain. Mrs. Bohnke in the meantime unsuspicious turned her plate over and it was her time to be amazed i for under her plate she found a lieautiful solid gold ring. Aft r the excitment had subsided all heartily partook of the repast. Another feature of the day seems that was especialy noticeable was the difference in ages among the guests pnrent there being 126 old people, forty two middle aged and young people, thirty eight small children and . twenty two Itabies. And all in all it was a happy gathering. After partaking of supper the guests all departed fortheir respective homes, wishing Mr. Bohnke many more such happy occasions. _ ru I child was enumerated tn the county.