Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1914 — Letter From Former Old-Time Resident of Jasper County. [ARTICLE]

Letter From Former Old-Time Resident of Jasper County.

W. M. Lakin, a former resident of Jasper county, writes The Democrat

I from Aurora, Neb. and encloses a picture of himself and wife, or a I double picture, rather, the first having been taken at San Pierre, Ind., Jan. 8, 1861, and the latter in Aurora, Neb., Jan. 88, 1911, just 50 years intervening between the time the two pictures were taken. Mr. and Mrs. Lakin are a very nice looking old couple. .They celebrated their golden wedding on Dec. 30 1910. They have 6 children, 37 grandchildren and 23 great-grand-children. Both are now past 70 years of age he being 74 and Mrs. Lakin 70. Mrs. Lakin is a sister of Squire Joel F. Spriggs of Walker tp., and her maiden name was Ann M. Spriggs. They were married in Walker tp., Dec. 30, 1860, and moved from this county to Illinois in 1876, going from there to Aurora, Neb., in 1882, where they have since resided. Mr. Lakin, who is a brother of the late Francis M. Lakin, of Union tp., and of Mrs. E. H. Shields of Rensselaer and Mrs. Martha Pnotzman of Brook, resided in Jasper county for 3 2 years. He served in the war of the rebellion in Co. K 48th Ind. regiment, and the late j M. F. Chilootte was his lieutenant I and later captain. He states that! he worked for John Makeever be-J fore the war. When Mr. and Mrs. Lakin celebrated their golden wedding they had for their guests, Mr. and Mrs. 1 F. M. Lakin of Jasper county; of; their own children —J. C. Lakin, wife and four children of Aurora. 1 ■ Neb.: Many Powel and daughter of Kearney, Neb.; and Mrs. Ella Ed-i wards of Templeton, Ind. Also Ira Cole, wife and daughter of Hastings, Neb.; A. E. Seekman, president of the Fidelity National bank: Mayor V. Swanson, general merchant: E. A. Peterson, dry goodsmerchant: T. E. Williams, prehi-! dent of First National bank; W. I. Early, president First National bank Marquette: F. A, Burt, president of, Abstract Co.; J. L. Leverd. president Farmers’ State* bank; Dr. S.I Teingery; E. S. Wood, county treasurer: D. S. Sayler, county clerk; G. L. Burr, editor Hamilton County : Register: H. J. Rouenson, editor of 1 the Aurora Democrat. They receiv- ! ed many valuable presents and $65 1 in gold. 1

Mr. Lakin also enclosed in his fetter a diagram of a patriotic quilt, made by Mrs. Lakin, which contains the names worked in silk of all the presidents down to Taft and all the governors of the states, besides many other notables. He says: “I had the written consent from both President Taft and Vice-President Sherman, also letters from every one of the governors in the United States to work their names in this quilt. It took 2,332 skeins of floss to work the 840 names and 1180 seams as Shown in the diagram. The material in the quilt cost $87.50, ■ all made of the best worsted goods in seven colors; the floss cost. $55.20. • Mrs. Lakin was 17 months making the qui t. We have been offered SSOO for it but w r ant SI,OOO. It is i now at S'hhute, Kansas. Gov. Gll- ; christ of Florida, sent ua $5 if we would put his name in the quilt. Wei got money enough to buy the ma-i terial and had some left.” In the letter Mr. Lakin also en-1 closed a poem that he had composed ’ from a bunch of letters which he has that were written by soldiers from 1861 to 1865. He states that he has letters from 41 different soldiers, 21 different regiments and 17 different states. He has letters' from the 10th, 18th, 40th, 48tfo, I 59th and 87th Indiana regiments. ! He had -276 soldier letters printed in a book, making 192 pages. Mr. j Lakin, himself served in Co. K and Co. A., 4 Bth Indiana Infantry.