The Mail-Journal, Volume 21, Number 33, Milford, Kosciusko County, 29 August 1984 — Page 4

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., August 29,1984

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Editorials Labor Day It has been suggested that people enjoy the coming Labor Day Weekend and forget about all those jobs around the house that need to be completed before cold weather arrives. Good idea! How many of us will do it? The first man to suggest a day be set aside in honor of labor was probably Peter McGuire. He was president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in 1882 when his suggestion was adopted by the Central Labor Union in New York. The first Labor Day, then, was observed in 1882. In 1884 the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, which later became the American Federation of Labor, adopted the suggestion and states (Oregon was the first) began to declare the first Monday in September a holiday. McGuire had chosen September because it was about midway between July 4 and Thanksgiving. By 1894, when Congresss declared the day a holiday in all federal offices and territories, some 30 states had already acted to make Labor Day a legal holiday. This year Labor Day is on the 3rd. As on other holidays, there will be many accidents. In observing it this year take care to see that you live to observe others. September, 1984 There was that nameless splendor everywhere, That wild exhilaration in the air... — Longfellow September is the month of the harvest moon, this year on the 10th. The moon appears above the horizon at sunset for several days, giving light for farmers to harvest fields after sundown. labor Day falls on the 3rd this year. The first Continental Congress met on the sth in 1774 in Philadelphia; James Fenimore Cooper, the novelist, was bom on the 7th at Burlington, N. J., in 1789. The famous Galveston hurricane struck that city on the Bth in 1900. The 9th is Admission Day in California — dating from 1850 when California became a state. The British defeated George Washington and his army at Chadd’s Ford in Pennsylvania on the 11th in 1777 and took Philadelphia two weeks later as a result, on their third try. The 12th is Defenders’ Day in Maryland, dating from the War of 1812 against the British; John Barry, the father of the U.S. Navy, died on the 13th in 1802. The 15th is the birth anniversary of William Howard Taft, born in Cincinnati, in 1857 and elected president in 1908. Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Rudolph Gerhard Augustin von Steuben was bom in Prussia on the 17th in 1730. Last battle What was the costliest battle of World War II for U.S. forces? The Battle of the Bulge? Pearl Harbor? Midway? The answer is none of these, but the Battle of Okinawa. The looming Japanese surrender anniversary in September and the end of actual fighting in August of 1945 bring to mind the close of the war in the Pacific and the last and most costly battle of the war for U.S. forces. Before the fighting ended months later the Army and Marines had lost over 7,500 dead and missing, over 31,000 wounded and suffered non-batUe casualties of 26,211. U.S. Navy losses had been by far the highest of any battle — almost 5,000 dead, a similar number wounded, 36 ships sunk and 368 damaged! What others say — A future mystery Who: A team or archaeologists. What: Careful and gentle excavation through the unearthed artifacts of an earlier civilization. Where: Average small town, USA. v When: Many generations from now. / Why: To learn more about the people who inhabited this earth in the 1980’s. In recent days, diggers have uncovered an unusual number of long poles, 15 to 20 feet and longer. Despite the fact that they are metal, they are well preserved for their age. Most of them are found near the rubble of what must have been a large building, probably a public place. In contrast, shorter poles, 5 to 6 feet long, and made of a thinner metal, are found near the rubble of what must have been a private dwelling. The team of archeologists is baffled by their find. They would not be intrigued by their finds, except that most of the poles indicated very little use or wear. Adding to the mystery was the fact that some of the longer and larger poles had a metal ball stuck on the smaller end of the pole. In some cases, the image of a large bird, with wings spread, was stuck on the smaller end. Were these poles used in some strange rite by these ancient people? It is obvious they were not instruments of war because they were not damaged in any way. As more and more of these rods, or poles, were uncovered, the head of the archeology team ordered the research director to begin indepth search of the written material found buried in blocks of concrete. Time passed, and the research department finally found the answer to the mysterious poles among the material found in what was known as corner stones, which seemed to be a part of special buildings. To understand the significance of the long poles, one must know something about this race of people known as Americans. They were a proud race of people, that evolved from people who came from every country on earth to settle in the section of the North American continent known as the United States of America. This nation introduced democracy to the world and promoted a concept of freedom for all people, and were constantly concerned with the worth and dignity of the individual. Basically, most Americans considered themselves to be patriotic, and proud of their land of the free and of it’s emblems, the Eagle, and their Flag, often called “Old Glory.” It has been determined that these poles were used as staffs from which this flag — Old Glory — was attached. Over the years, there seemed to be a surge of patriotism — times when many people displayed their country’s flag on these poles. Then there were times when people just didn’t seem to care, although they still bragged about being patriotic. Special emphasis was placed on flying the flag on special days, such as the birthday of the flag, and what they called Memorial Day, but especially on what they called Independence Day, July 4th, the birthday of America. The one mystery yet to be solved by the research team and archeologists is why they called these long staff and rods “flag” poles. So many of them showed very little use. -AVON-DANVILLE GAZETTE

AJL I* jjndJ I Rich Dick of Syracuse does construction work in the summer. He and other workers will observe Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 3.

Court news

Superior Court The following claims have been filed in Kosciusko Superior Court, Judge Robert Burner presiding: Returned Checks Augsburgers Super Valu has filed complaints the following persons for checks returned for insufficient funds: Greg Armstrong, Pp. Box 138 North Webster, $2001.39; Fred Auterson, PiercetonL $152.42; Pamela Auterson, iPierceton, $420.10; Richard R. Barnt, P.O. Box 416 Syracuse, \5170.03; Stephen J. Cromer, NewxParis, $398.99; Douglas C. Jackson, Pendleton, $259.91; DouglasxE. Shirey, r 2 box 377, Syracuse, $315.47; Martha Vance, r 2 bjx 199, Syracuse, $210.50. City Court The following fines have been levied and paid in the Goshen City Court: I Expired vehicle registration +- James T. Wine, 38, Syracuse, $36 Wrong way on one way— John C. Layton, 18, Syracuse, S4O / Altered driver’s license J— Steven Grindle, 20, Syracuse, $36 Illegal consumption of alcohol — Steven Grindle, 20, Syracuse, S4O, five days in jail, suspended on condition defendant not com\ mit a similar offense for one year\ Marriage Licenses The following couples have applied for marriage licenses in the office of Kosciusko County Clerk Jean Messmore: Zartman-Bibler Tony Allen Zartman, 23, box 32 Leesburg and Donna Lee Bibler, 20, 1814 CR 225 W, Warsaw Lees-Zabona Thomas A. Lees, 25, 324 W. Pearl St., Syracuse and Jane Ann Zabona, 22, 182 N. Shore Dr., Syracuse Williams-Allen Jeffrey H. Williams, 33, r 3 box 563A, Syracuse and Martha K. Allen, 38, P.O. Box 1481 Warsaw Hursey-Rink Timothy Ty Hursey, 25, r 1 Cromwell and Teri Sue Rink, 22, r 5 box 127, Syracuse Schenkel-Prickett . Ted Ernest Schenkel, 26, r 2 box 175, North Webster and Kris Ellen Prickett, 26, r 4 box 265C3, Syracuse Ludy-Lozier Robert Nelson Ludy, 29, r 1 box 624 C, Leesburg and Sue Lynn Lozier, 26, r 1 box 624 C, Leesburg Horn-Dunn Tony Hom, 31, r 5 box 382A, Syracuse and Pameh Kay Dunn, 22, r 5 box 382A, > acuse Strauss-Richardson Keith Edward Strauss, 28, r 1 Cromwell and Janet Lee Richardson, 39, box 183 Milford Kelley-Parks Howard Lloyd Kelley, 20, r 1 box 213A, Milford and Vickie Sue Parks, 18, r 1 box 213A, Milford Marriage Dissolutions The following couples have filed for marriage dissolutions in Kosciusko Superior and Circuit Courts: Hickman — Nancy J. Hickman and Jackie D. Hickman, 736 S. Huntington St., Syracuse. The couple was married April 9,1955 TMT MAIL JOUMIAL (U.S. PS. 3258-4000) Published by The Mail-Journal every Wednesday and entered as Second Class matter at the Post Office at Syracuse. Indiana MM7. Second class postage paid at 103. E. Main Street, Syracuse. Indiana 44567 and at additional entry offices. Subscription: SIS per year In Kosciusko County, sll outside county. POSTMASTERS: Send change of dress forms to The Mail-Journal, P.O. Box MB. Mittord. Indiana 46542

and separated August 13,1984. Vanlaningham — Richard D. Vanlaningham and Lucy J. Vanlaningham, r 1 box 2, Leesburg. The couple was married July 4, 1982 and separated April 2, 1984. Grevenstuk — Deborah J. Grevenstuk and Mitchell G. Grevenstuk, P.O. Box 643 Milford. The couple was married June 28, 1983 and separated August 5,1984. There is one minor child. Ik SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT - Stephen H. Berkey, Lake Wawasee, Syracuse, has been elected senior vice president in the employee benefits division by the board of directors of the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, Fort Wayne. In addition Berkey, was also elected senior vice president of Lincoln National Administrative Services Corporation, which provides non-insurance administrative services, primarily to employee benefit programs. Berkey is a past president of the Wawasee Swim Club and a former board member of the Enchanted Hills Playhouse. He is director-group financiai/staff services and is responsible for the actuarial, financial, underwriting and data processing functions of this department. He joined Lincoln National in 1965 as an actuarial trainee and five years later transferred to The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company of New York, then a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company. He returned to the home office in 1976 where he had been elected a second vice president in the group division. He was elected a vice president in 1986. Berkey holds a master’s degree in actuarial science from Georgia State University, Atlanta, Ga., and a bachelor’s degree in business from Indiana University. He is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Youth Day held at Camp Mack The Apostolic Christian Church, Milford, held their annual Youth Day at Camp Alexander Mack on Sunday, Aug. 19. The Youth Day is a youth fellowship day for all Indiana Apostolic Christian Churches. Some groups were from as far away as Indianapolis, said Tom Speicher, one of the Milford Apostolic Church’s leaders. The day started with Sunday School, followed by various fellowship times throughout the day, a hillside music service and a church service. In the evening, a church service took place and all the youth choirs performed. Speicher estimated 25 youth participated from the Milford Church and said the Camp Mack facility was filled by night-time.

"CRUZIN ’ AROUND 'CUSE"

1/ |fl|l Ms |» fc'll Oda* • Pickwick Block — As it looked before the February 2, 1946, fire

... M■II I * As it looked after that fire. c (EDITOR'S NOTE: These two photos of the ili-fated Pickwick Block, taken before and after the February 2, 1946 fire, are the property of Dorothy Connolly and were given to this column for reproduction here. Dorothy and Jim Connolly operated the Syracuse Case at the time and resided in the second floor apartment, in the building which now houses the Syracuse License Branch, and she remembers watching the fire from their front window. The top photo shows the block in all its English Tudor elegance. It was the chief star in the crown of the lakes vacation area. The bottom photo was taken February 3, 1946 — the day after. One quarter of the uptown business district went up in smoke in that disastrous fire. The theater, lounge and businesses, including the arcade game room on the corner, provided a popular mecca for townspeople and visitors alike.)

THE PICKWICK fire last Sunday morning continues to evoke memories of previous fires at that location. We mentioned in a page 1 article last week, not only the most recent fire, but others that are sharp in the memory of many contemporaries. Not all that well remembered is the fire of January 7, 1901, recalled by townsman Ketf Harkless who was seven years old at the time. The building at that time was known as the Oakland Theater building, owned by E. E. Holloway. Ronald Sharp detailed that fire in Book Two of his “A History of Syracuse and Environs (1871-1920).” He wrote the fire completely destroyed both wood and brick structures. The fire started at 5 p.m. Sunday in a storeroom in the Conrad grocery, located on the west side of the block. Erve Treesh, clerk in the T. H. Conrad grocery, came running up the street shouting, “Fire!” A number of citizens who were sitting around in the stores rushed to the scene and found a rear storage room on fire. Sharp’s account continued, “There was no fire equipment or central water system (in Syracuse) to fight the blaze. A bucket brigade was formed, dipping water from wells and tossing it on the fire. It was estimated almost every male in town fought the blaze. “The Conrad shed, first thing ablaze, was filled with oil, lard and other flammable items. The Sloan restaurant, east of the Conrad store, caught fire. With this the fire spread. People quickly started to remove goods and other items from the buildings in the block. To the west the fire spread to Mrs. Benner’s Millinery Shop. “F. L. Hoch, Weyrick and Hinderer stores, located in the Guy building, soon were on fire. It was first believed that these stores would be saved because the building was brick. However, the windows were on the west side of the building, so the flames from the wooden structure entered through the windows into the brick building. “It was estimated that the fire loss in inventory, furnishings and buildings was about $30,000 to $33,000.” -o— THE SECOND big fire in the location occurred in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Aug. 18,1925, as we reported last week. Our information on that fire came from the files of The Syracuse Journal at the Syracuse Public Library, as provided by librarian Rosalyn Jones and her assistant Bonnie Bjella. The fire was first noticed by night watchman Oral Craft and drew fire departments from Elkhart, Goshen, Winona Lake and Warsaw, The Journal article said the loss was estimated between $6- and $8,999, and effected the Gibson Variety Store, the Beckman store and the K. of P. Lodge Hall, ft was mostly smoke damage. The article says the fire’s origin remained a mystery. Townsman and local historian Ron Sharp was six years old at the time, he said, and claims to recall the fire vividly. “I stood on the street corner with my mother and watched it,” he said, recalling that many onlookers appeared “in their night shirts.” Sharp also recalled there were considerable Civil War memorabilia on the second floor of the Beekman building, stored there with a supply of

Three people were injured: Frank Klink, a cut * on the arm by broken glass; Leo Druckamiler, hit on the head by a brick; and John Anspaugh, receiving a “little bath of hot water, which was running from the hot sheet iron roof.” They were • treated by Dr. C. R. Hoy, local physician. —oTHE SYRACUSE-Wawasee Journal of Friday, Feb. 8, 1946, fairly well chronicled the Feb. 2, 'l946lh<ofthe new ultra-modern Pickwick Block as built by'Chicago inventor and philanthropist, W. E. Long. (Note: See top photo above.) It had • apartments on the second floor which were destroyed along with the rest of the building. A two-column sub-head in the Journal story said it was a $400,000 fire, yet a lead paragraph in the news article that followed said it was a $500,000 fire. Police officer C. J. Kline discovered the fire at 4:30 a.m., the article noted. The Journal article said local and area firemen battled the fire in 15 degree temperatures, accompanied by high winds. It add-, ed: “Liquor stored in the Lounge added to the flames - and the noise." Losses were listed as follows: Theater, $45,000; Lounge, $30,000; bowling alleys, $12,000; . art gallery, $35,000; Journal office, $12,000; Harry Grieger apartment, $5,000, Joel D. Wilt apartment, $12,000; C. C. Mason playroom equipment, SIO,OOO, Wm. Blank apartment, $1,500. The original building cost $231,006 10 years earlier, and was sold to James J. Gregory and others of Chicago 14 months prior to the fire. J. Barton Cox, publisher of the Journal, began pushing for a full time Syracuse fire department after that disastrous fire but was rebuffed by the town board composed “of Fielden Sharp, Ron’s dad, and Wade Zerbe. A third Board member Floyd Brower did not voice an opinion. The two board members who opposed reasoned a full time force would take three men at $2,000 per year per ; ■ man, which would double the present tax rate. Cox never got his full time fire department, but he did win recognition by the National Fire Underwriters for his efforts and was presented with a handsome plaque and SSOO in cash. He later reopened his Journal office in a va- < cant lot now the site of the local United Telephone . Co. offices. v —o—- — SHARP’S book recalls a July 1956 fire in .; the bowling alley below the Pickwick Theater and , Lounge discovered early by Pickwick Lounge co-owner Chris Panagos, but that it caused ; minimal damage. —o— * BUT THE 1971 fire was another matter. By .; now the block appeared to have suffered a curse of ‘ sorts with its history of ongoing fires. By now the building was owned by Bill Mollenhour and Reub ‘• Williams, d/b/a the Pickwick Midwest Corp, of . f Warsaw, and they had no better luck warding off fires in that location than previous owners. I This fire broke out in the early morning hours • of Friday, Jan. 1, and was reported in foil in The Mail-Journal. (Note: By now the > Syracuse-Wawasee Journal had joined hands with < The Milford Mail to become The Mail-Journal, < serving the entire area.) The fire, discovered at 5 p m., brought many ;. New Year’s Eve celebrants from their beds to watch area fire departments fight the disaster (Continued on page 5)