Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1916 — REMINISCENT OF EARLY DAYS [ARTICLE]

REMINISCENT OF EARLY DAYS

Aged Step-Brother of Nelson Handle Tells of a Pioneer Wolf Hunt. , Nelson Randle received a letter from his nephew, Frank Randle, of Waynetown, Ind , Wednesday containing a couple of interesting clippings from local papers there regarding Mr. Randle’s aged step-broth-er, Hon. Michael D. White, which will be of interest to many readers of The Democrat, as they are reminiscent of early days in Indiana. Frank did not give the name of the jfap’er or papers from which the clippings were taken, but it is pre-

sumed that they were Crawfordsville papers. The articles follow: “I am not feeling as hungry as I did 75 years ago tonight,” said Hon. Michael D. White, the Grand Old Man of this community, as he pushed his chair baefe from the supper table Saturday evening. Being pressed for the cause of the short-coming in appetite, the sage told the following: Seventy-five years ago today W illiam Henry Harrison was inaugurated President of the United States. It was a cold day and there was 12 or 14 inches of snow on the ground. Up in Tippecanoe county we held a fox and wolf hunt in honor of the occasion, and also to rid the country of the vermin. I rode with my father in the drive behind on the sorrel mare and we beat the bushes toward the common center just as they do today. “The drive was a success. We rounded up six foxes, five or six wolves and about six deer, as I remember. The game was piled up in one big heap and was apportioned out among the captains of the three hundred or more participants. “At the heels of the hunt, as the sporting writer would say, two farmers drove up in wagons each of which contained a barrel of home spun whiskey. It must have been of a fighting brand, because in a little while that spirit became predominant and somebody killed the Austrian prince that started things. The bully from Yorktown met the best man from Darlington and they went at it, feet and fists. I never saw such a fight. I doubt if the trenches around Verdun has shown such a one. It was one of these contagious tights Save for myself and parent, I think it was unanimous. “No, I am not so hungry tonight as I was that-night when I got home. Also I have a better opinion of humanity. Of,course, these men who fought were our ancestors, and maybe the daddies of our best citizens, but it shows that the world is growing better, even if it takes 75 years.”

The lion. M. 1). White, 88 years old, ex-congressman, delighted the teachers at the institute Saturday with his recollections of the past. Although one or the oldest men in the city Mr. White is still in good health and wa s able to talk for almost an hour on the history or our state and especially of our county. He told how Crawfordsville received its name from Major Whituho was * ,n charge of a land office here and named the town after his friend. Colonel Crawford lie also declared that Vincennes was not named after the suburb of Paris as is popularly supposed, but after’ an Indian trader who settled there Among the most interesting of his recollections was his campaign for congress in 1 860. In this year Henry s. Lane was also a candidate for governor and he told how the late Mrs Lane took up active part in her husband s campaign. At one time during that year Mr. White said that he was holding a meeting at the ITS" y v a A an<l Mrfi Lane came out an . d , ?s f d u to meet h,s friends. He said that she stood in line with him All afternoon receiving voters On a request from one or the teachers Mr. White told of the r that wan operated war He spoke principally of the work of Fisher Dohcry whonr he declared was one of the most lovable men that he ever knew Ihe underground railway in this county, according to Mr. White was Lr?— ° f a sa cred Institution.’ No politician ever dared to raise his hand or even his voice, against It and many was the slave that received bis freedom through it > For almost an hour Mr White continued to tell the teacher's of his recollections of the early days of the state. There is perhaps no man In the county who is better able to speak on this subject. Mr. White was a member of congress during one of the greatest periods of our nauonal history. He has been a citizen of this community since it was a settlement of a few log cabins.