The Mail-Journal, Volume 21, Number 3, Milford, Kosciusko County, 1 February 1984 — Page 4

THE MAIL-JOURNAL - Wed., February 1,19 M

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Editorials

Good luck Warriors and Lady Warriors This week end the Warrior wrestling team and the Lady Warrior basketball team will be participating in regional and sectional competition respectively. We join their many fans in wishing both teams good luck in the coming competition. The wrestlers travel to Fort Wayne for regional competition with all 13 team members qualifying last week end at West Noble. The team walked away with top honors, seven individual championships and the championship trophy. The Lady Warriors, ranked 14th in one state poll, will be in sectional competition at Warsaw as they open the tourney against the host Tigers tomorrow (Thursday). They lost only one game this year, that being to seventh ranked Mishawaka. It has been a good year for both teams. The wrestlers walked away with the Northern Lakes Conference crown, their first in several years, having won the wrestling championship previously in 1971 and 1977. The girls defeated Bremen last week for the first ever girls’ NLC basketball conference crown. They have an undisputed 7-0 conference record. We tip our hats to the members of these two teams and their coaches and wish them the very best in the coming competition. Won’t you join us in cheering them on to victory? Ground Hog Day The American Association for the observance of “Ground Hog Day” reminds us that the traditional occasion when the little animal comes out of its winter burrow for a look to see if it’s time to resume normal activities is February 2. , 4 x A . The woodchuck is our most famous weather prophet. But, unfortunately, he’s not the most accurate. The theory is that if the ground hog sees its shadow, it retires for another six of According to the legend, if the sky is cloudy, it remains outside with the assurance of an early spring. Tone of voice There’s much to the claim - often from even tempered or mild mannered people - that the tone of voice used by an adversary in a disagreement is more important than what’s actually said. It’s also true that among husbands and wives, and those in love, the usual courtesies of speech and manner are often not observed, because of the press of today’s pace of life. A wise man once told newly married couples that if they would all be as polite to each other, throughout their daily lives, as they were to strangers met at the office, or at social affairs, their marriages would be successful. That dilepimads exemplified by the following: She: You don t speak nicely to me anymore. You don’t love me! He: Os course I do. There you go again-. I love you more than life itself. Now, shut up and let me read my book! Seed catalogs This is the time of year we dream visions of grandeur while looking through seed catalogues. The pictures of the full-grown fruits or vegetables make the mount water, and we anticipate great things. The great expectations often come down to earth as the season gets underway and the insects, weather and weeds do their natural part. On the other hand, sometimes we are amply rewarded with the fruits of our labor (and financial outlay) and these become the memorable years. Growing flowers or vegetables, like just about everything else these days, is a science. * If one approaches the process with the latest scientific knowledge and know-how, results can be quite good. A garden is both good exercise and fun, if one does not make it too large on the basis of spring enthusiasm derived from pictures in catalogues. Staying young • ' We all grow older, inevitably; the process can’t be arrested. Yet, in a sense, we can stay young. It takes will power and positive thinking, perhaps luck as far as health is concerned. But most of us can stay young. There’s a secret. There are rules. The rules include watching one’s diet, so one doesn’t accumulate unnecessary fat. Another is to exercise'regularly. We must keep muscles in tone, keep out bodies and body movements graceful and attractive. Another secret is state of mind. We must constantly remind ourselves to remain young in thought and spirit. Finally, live as cleanly as possible and get adequate rest.

What others say — Talk about big The terms “Big Business” and “Big Government” are familiar to all of us, and are usually applied when we bump up against a problem that seems to defy solving. The “bigness” is overwhelming and confounds any conception of how to go about finding any answers. Perhaps a recent explanation of big government by Review Os The News will provide some clue about big government in this country. According to ROTN, the federal government employs 2.8 million people, purchases over $3lO billion in goods and services each year and owns and operates 437,000 non-military vehicles. It furnishes 95 million subsidized meals a day, delivers medical care to 47 million people and issues 4.8 billion publications annually. Unde Sam owns one-third of the United States land mass, an estimated 744 million acres, which is equal to all the states east of the Mississippi River, plus Texas In addition, the government occupies 2.6 billion square feet of office space, the equivalent of all the office space in the ten largest cities, times four. To keep track of this requires 17,000 computers, 332 accounting systems and 319 payroll systems... and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps this gives the average taxpayer an idea of the kind of opposition to expect if he or she takes on Big Government. - AVON-DANVILLE GAZETTE

All” I ZM| Warrior Rob deSomer is shown in the top photo. He and other WHS wrestlers will take part in the regional on Saturday. Senior Marcia Sorensen, bottom photo, takes her turn at cutting down the net after the Lady Warriors won the NLC crown. The girls will begin sectional play on Thursday. . . i i 457-3666 Or M-J Pulse Ca 11658-4111, Ext. 17

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What do you think about the new license plates Results of last week’s question: How do you fight a cold or the fiu? By eating a good variety of foods, and get plenty of rest... By just taking care of myself.. Taking two aspirin and calling my husband in the morning.. . Drink Rum. .. Oh, by living right. Eat a proper diet, drink the proper liquids, and have a good time whatever I am doing... Stay inside where it is warm... Get plenty of sleep and cover my head when Igo out in the c01d... By bundling up whenever Igo outside, except during the summer months... By being involved in a lot of sports activities... I don’t know. I just try to eat right, get plenty of sleep, and let everything else fall as they will. .. You know, I haven’t thought about that too much. I rarely get sick. Letter to the editor

Dog with chain not ‘allowed 1 to run free

Dear Editor: Last year my son's dog was picked up by the police. A snap on chain had broken and the dog was dragging a 10-foot chain. A $5 fine was paid for “allowing” the dog to run free. A few weeks ago, the hardware pulled out of the doghouse and again, the dog was picked up,

TNi MAIL-JOUtNAL (U.S.P.S. 3258-4000) Published by The Mail Journal every Wednesday and entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office at Syracuse. Indiana MS67. Second class postage paid at 103 E. Main Street. Syracuse. Indiana M 567 and at additional entry offices. Subscription: S*4 per year in Kosciusko County, 16 50 outside county. POSTMASTERS; Send change of address forms to The Mail Journal. P.O. Box IM. Milford. Indiana 4654 J.

dragging a 10-foot chain. A sls fine was paid for again, “allowing” the dog to run free. any person with any sense at all, should be able to see, a dog, dragging a 10-foot chain, is not being “allowed” to run free. Other dogs roam our yards and the town, in general, relieving themselves in our yards, at will. Perhaps, we all should leave our dogs, run free; as it seems, only the ones easiest to catch (dragging 10-foot chains), are the ones being picked up. Granted, a fine is probably necessary, for the time and trouble of picking up the dog, but I believe sls is excessive, considering few other “free running” dogs are being picked up. Something smells, the way things are being ran, and it isn’t our friendly little neighborhood skunk ; she has better “scents.” A suggestion to the residents of Syracuse: Call the local police everytime you see a dog that is in yowr area and not on a leash being held by it’s owner. After aft, right is right. Disgusted, RuthMench

"GRUZIN AROUND 'CUSE" '

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THE MUTED story that an Interurban line was to be constructed through the town of Syracuse at the turn of the 20th Century keeps cropping up in private conversations. Specific, concrete information on the proposed line is difficult to come by, inasmuch as files of the Syracuse weekly newspaper of that period are non-existent. The history of the Winona Interurban Co. lines that ran from Goshen to Warsaw and on to Winona Lake, going down Milford’s Main Street, exists in the Warsaw Public Library, but research shows nothing about a proposed Interurban line through Syracuse. One must remember, that during this early period cars were as scarce as the proverbial hen’s teeth, and rail transportation was the prime mode of transportation. Such a line would connect Syracuse with the outside world. Jack Vanderford, erstwhile historian and president of the Syracuse Public Library board of trustees, remembers the late Roscoe Howard, a real Syracuse native (something of a rarity in this mobile community), tellin-' rs such a proposed Interurban line through Syracuse. • He pointed out to Vanderford where the line was to come into town from the north, where, indeed, grading had been done for the right-of-way. The tract, as related by Vanderford and shown above, is the open lot between the Steve Coil residence on High Street at the north edge of town and the old mobile home to the Coils’ west. When Coil was asked about this last week, he said he knew nothing about such an Interurban line, and that his abstract revealed nothing. Ah, but Vanderford’s abstract did! He lives on Lake Wawasee in an area formerly known as Ideal Beach, along SR 13 several miles south of Syracuse. • His abstract shows where owners of the land on the west side of SR 13 and now owned by Vanderford were Silas L. Ketring, and Mary E. Ketring, his wife, Arthur H. Blanchard, and Caroline C. Blanchard, his wife,( and Peter C. Boedeker, and Josephine Boedekei"? his wife. And the strip of land deeded was 50 feet wide through the above-mentioned property. It was deeded to Indianapolis, Huntington, Columbia City and Northwestern Railway Company, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Indiana. It’s purpose, the abstract states: “to have and to hold the same as and for a right of way for the construction, maintenance and operation of a railway of said grantee, its successors or assigns.** It adds, “In the event that the real estate herein conveyed is not used within 3 years from date or ceases to be used for railway purposes, the title therein reverts to grantors, their heirs of assigns.” The company mentioned was to build a railway in public streets and right-of-way, commencing at or near the north corporate lines of the city of Huntington, thence in and through the counties of Huntington, Whitley. Kosciusko and Elkhart, to a point at or near the south corporate line of the city of Goshen and passing in and through the city of Columbia City and the town of Syracuse. What’s more, the company proposed to secure an issue of 30-year Gold Bonds, numbered 1 to 1,500 inclusive, and amounting in the aggregate to $1,500,000, bearing 5% interest, to build the line. This transfer of land was dated December 24,

I B I kEw J ETi • ™ 1 JEANNE GARDINER AND CONNI INKS HELP MIKE CLARK f ' t

1906, recorded March 20, 1907 in Warsaw, and carried a price tag of $225. According to Vanderford’s abstract, the proposed railway and its company fell on hard times, and a mortgage and trust deed was signed over to The Central Trust Company, Indianapolis as trustee on December 8,1906. William M. Self, receiver for the abortive railway company under appointment of the Marion County Superior Court, granted the above-mentioned land rights to one Joseph P. Dolan on an order of assignment dated February 15, 1908. All property, rights and franchises went to Joseph Dolan, “saving and excepting one certain locomotive engine, one passenger coach and 2 flat cars now in his hands.” ■' A quick claim deed was exercised June 16, 1911, in which Joseph P. Dolan and his wife, Alice B. Dolan, grants to Silas K. Ketring and Arthur H. Blanchard the strip of land so described above. It’s a winding story, to be sure, but one that tells of the high hopes of the future of Interurban travel in Indiana at the turn of the century, and how the dream went sour with the advent of the automobile. Had it not been for the automobile, it would be reasonable to conjecture that Syracuse would be connected with other larger towns — Goshen, Elkhart and South Bend to the north, and such cities as Marion and Indianapolis to the south — — Interurban. Something for the present generation to think about. —O'DICK DITMER, insurance and real estate agent, has closed his office in the Huntington Building as of January 1, and continues to service some of his long-standing accounts from his home in Wawasee Village. ’ Dick came to Syracuse from Wabash in 1959 and entered the real estate business with Bill Jones in what later became known as the Ganshorn Printing Co. building in uptown Syracuse. Then, in 1961 Jones built the Huntington Building and they moved there. Jones left the business a number of years ago. Don Tatman will take over Ditmer’s offices. Virginia Ditmer, a longtime music teacher at the high school, retired three years ago and appears to be enjoying her retirement along with her husband. —O—YOU HAVE to be an old old-timer to remember when the first Huntington Street bridge over Turkey Creek was built. One such local fellow, who made the Syracuse community his home all his life, is Ken Harkless. Ken. who will be 87 on February 12 (Lincoln’s birthday. he notes), says the first of three bridges at that location was big news. He recalls the old wooden bridge, stating his Hies reveal it was completed July 15. 1875. He remembers when the wooden bridge was removed and the bridge just recently replaced was built. Prior to the wooden bridge, townspeople going * to the B & O railroad station had to go down Main Street, then up Boston Street or the street past what is now Dana Corp. “You can see why the bridge that gave people a straight shot to the railroad station was such a big deal,” Ken states. —o— THE CLOSE-KNIT group that put together this year’s Winter Carnival was exuberant at the participation in the event. Weather cooperated to make this easily the best Winter Carnival of all. (Continued on page 5)