The Mail-Journal, Volume 23, Number 30, Milford, Kosciusko County, 23 July 1986 — Page 22
THE MAIL-JOURNAL —Wed., July 23,1986
22
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Shortly after the turn of the century the interurban came to Milford. The work crew shown stopped working long enough to pose for the photo. It is our guess that the young boys in the front left of the photo only grabbed a shovel long enough to pose for the photo and did little, if any labor on the tracks. The Winona Interurban Line served the town for a number of years. The Winona Railway Company was incorporated in 1902 and the interurban was
Catalogs
By EMILY A. THOMAS Guest Feature Writer Take a minute! Look around your reading room, bathroom or otherwise, and check and see if you can find a book of history that you look at time and time again Undoubtedly, many of you think that this is kind of a crazy request. since many of us haven't thought about history books since we were in school; let alone read them time and time again! Well, have I got a surprise for you! Those catalogs that have
4-H Auction to be held
Come Friday, Aug 1. many 4-H members will showcase their livestock at the Kosciusko CountyFair Auction. The event begins at 10 a m. at the Show Arena. According to Extension Agent Ronald W. Hoyt, the livestock auction gives the participating 4-H members a chance to market the animals
[ — ’ntanUei. 1 I /S SUMMER SALE I /AU CONTINUES I Lots Os Swimsuits Further Reductions On All Summer Fashions I I 40% OFF 30%"40%"50% OFF I I Open Everyday Mon.-Sat. 9:30 To 6:00, Sun. 11:00 To 5:00 ph 457.2211 1/2 Mile South Os Syracuse, SR 13, Wawasee Village
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been arriving throughout the years (that seem to keep piling up) are actually pieces of history. Maybe that's why we have so much trouble throwing them away year after year. Just when you think you've seen all there is to see in them you pick one up and find something of interest that you overlooked the last time you were reading it. For approximately 100 years, consumers have received mail order catalogs as a manner of which they might become familiar with products available
they raise. Thus, representatives from businesses, corporations and families from all over the county attend the auction, which gives them the chance to support 4-H clubs. Children who sell their animals often use the money for private college funds, helping them afford the cost of higher education.
The interurban comes to town
a mirror of the times
in and out of their vicinity. This idea in itself is of historic propor tion in that it enabled people to become aware of trends, fashion or otherwise, and attitudes throughout the country and eventually the world. They would make such trends available, for a price of course. In looking through the catalog collection at my house, the selection is amply abundant. We have fashion catalogs covering children, women's half sizes, tall women's sizes, tall men’s sizes, big men’s sizes, and even a fashion catalog for the “best dressed dog” of the house! These fashion catalogs in themselves are making an impor tant political statement in that they point out the vast range of odd sized people throughout the country who are no longer expected to fit a certain “mold” to be a part of society. It also demonstrates the freedom of choice that we as Americans often take for granted. Another important feature coming out of fashion catalogs is that they reflect the economic
constructed. It connected Goshen with Peru and ran through Milford. NewParis and Leesburg and Warsaw in addition toother small towns on the route. Many of the older residents of the community can remember travel on the interurban during their younger days. However, as the automobile became more and more popular it replaced the need for the interurban and the line lost its popularity.
barometer of the season, year, or whatever. A good example to use is to compare the price of an item, such as men's blue denim jeans at today's prices (average price is Slß> as compared to the price of men s blue denim jeans in 1937 overage price $1 >. A monthly payment of a S3OO credited account back in 1937 was approximately sl7 Today a monthly payment for a S3OO credited account is approximately $35 to S3B. It is important to take into consideration when looking into this type of comparison, that wages, for the most part, have increased considerably since 1937 also. Other types of catalogs in my collection are: Art. music equip ment, hunting, fishing, farming The historical significance of these kind of catalogs is that they reflect the cultural interests of people and also illustrate the technological advances being made from one time to another in different areas of interest. An example of an important economic change from 1937 to
1986 is in the farming equipment pricing barometer! In 1937. a 10 foot, heavy duty disc harrow, tractor pulled, was priced at around slls Today a disc comparable to that, if you can find one. would cost in the «rea of $1,000!Some technological advances that are now available through catalogs to consumers are things like computers, video equipment, and. how can we forget, the microwave oven! So. you see. catalogs are more than just wish books.” They are full of dreams, ideas, inventions, and trends just waiting to be discovered and rediscovered. The next time you pick up a catalog and think about throwing it out, take a minute and look through it You'd be surprised when you may find (Note: References used in price comparisons were taken from a Spring and Summer 1937 Montgomery Ward/Chicago Catalog and a Fall and Winter 1985 JC Penney catalog)
Milford's Main street
PETER CORY, sen of Dr. and Mrs. David Cory of Indianapolis, observed his sixth birthday on July 15. On the 14th he was honored at a party held in the computer lab at the Childrens Museum. His grandparents Neal and Arlene Cory of Milford, spent the weekend in Indianapolis and attended the party. MAPLE LEAF Farms, the world's largest producer of quality ducklings with headquarters in Milford, has received the 1986 Mill of the Year Award. The award is presented annually by the American Feed Industry Association Maple Leaf Farm’s Burlington (Wise.) Mill was selected as this year’s award winner from over 50 entries from throughout the USA. The criteria for the award spans the scope of milling operations such as: safety programs, quality assurance programs, compliance to government standards, housekeeping, production, efficiency, employee relations and community involvement. This indepth review results in narrowing the field down to two finalists. Roman DeGraves, plant manager, and Lloyd Bowerman, director/milling operations, were in New Orleans to accept the award. This award is not for an individual effort, but reflects the team work spirit that is present at Burlington Mill Os course, buttons are popping in Milford where everyone is proud of the accomplishment of the Burlington Feed Mill and the people who made it a winner. —o’— NOW COMES another letter from Ruth Bartlow of Milford. She notes she was out in her wheelchair again and having trouble getting back home when a young woman by the name of June helped her. Not only did she push Mrs. Bartlow home, June also put her umbrella over her to keep the rain off. Mrs. Bartlow says that the good Lord must bless Milford with special people. We would have to agree. —o — FOLLOWING IS another sample from the Kosciusko County Historical Society's New History Book. Said book is due out this fall. It was given to us byCharlotte Siegfr ed for the sesquicentennial, but alas, we ran out of space: Arthur F. Griffith was born on July 30. 1880. to Isaac Harvey (•riffith and F'loretta (Homan)
Genealogy seminar at Manchester
The Third Northern Indiana Summer Conference will be held at Manchester College. North Manchester, on Saturday. Aug. 2. The event is sponsored by the Genealogy Section of the Kosciusko County Historical Society, and the Family History Section of the Indiana Historical Society. DR. DAVID f** fEj SMUCKER A , ”j| Topics to be covered during the seminar include: Immigration and emigration, routes and records. Maralyn Wellauer; problem solving techniques, Marsha Hoffman Rising; Mennonite and Amish genealogical research in Pennsylvania, Dr. David Smucker; and how to achieve good results fr om genealogical correspondence by Marsha Hoffman Rising. Maralyn Wellauer is from Milwaukee, Wis. She is the author
When you meet a person who has nothing, perhaps you can intioduce him to One who has everything.
Free Walls Associate Minister
TRANSIORTATION provided on Sunday mornings for Second Service. Call 658-9151 or 658-9241. CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF MILFORD Fourth & Henry Streets 658-9151 Milford
Griffith, on a farm southwest of Milford. At an early age, Arthur showed unusual abilities. When scarcely a year old he could be seen counting all objects within his reach. When but 16 months old he would count the carpet rags his mother would sew, the potatoes she peeled and the slices she fried. At two years he could say all the letters of the alphabet, and would count the number of times any one letter appeared in the newspaper. When old enough to feed the chickens he would count the grains of corn he fed them. In learning the multiplication tables he did not stop at 12x12 but went on to 1,000x1,000 which he recited by heart. When Arthur was 10 years of age his parents moved into Milford and he started school. When he reached fourth grade, he had advanced in mathematics beyond the high school professors, so he saw no need to continue school. In other subjects he showed only average ability, perhaps because he lacked interest for them. George A. Nye of Warsaw and Maude L. McLaughlin wrote an article where Arthur Griffith was described as follows: “At the age of 21 in 1901, Arthur Griffith was known as the greatest mathematical prodigy of the age He was at this time a large man, heavy set, good-looking with heavy raven hair and black eyes. He had the appearance of a man of public affairs. “Some of the feats that Griffith accomplished in mathematics were as follows: He could stand on a railroad crossing and watch a train of SO to 100 freight cars go by. after passing he could recite ail the car numbers and give the sum of the numbers. He computed the compound interest of one dollar since the time of Christ, doing all 360 operations mentally. He could multiply two numbers each in nine digits, and give the correct answer in five seconds. He could raise any number of less than 1,000 to the fifth power in 39 seconds. He figured out the number of possible different hands to four players from a deck of 52 cards: S 3 octillion. 644 septillion. 737 sextillion. 756 quiltillion. 488 quadrillion. 759 trillion. 839 billion. 237 million, and 440 thousand ways. “He lived in a wilderness of figures surrounded by plus, minus, square root, and power signs and he used these as a baby would use a set of blocks. ’’ At one time in the state auditor's office at Springfield.
of several books including "Tracing Your German Roots.” "Tracing Your Swiss Roots," and "German Immigration to America in the Nineteenth Century.” She is listed in ‘‘Who's Who in Genealogy and Heraldry." Marsha Hoffman Rising of Springfield, Mo., is an alumnus of Washington Institute (1981), and has lectured at Hartford. Denver. LaPorte and Indianapolis. She is the author of "The Molzen Family” and “Genealogical Gleanings from the Springfield Advertiser. 1844-1850.” She is considered a rising star on the genealogical lecture circuit.
MARSHA HOFFMAN RISING
Dr. David Smucker of Lancaster, Pa., is a genealogist in residence at the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society. He has taught courses in church history at Bluffton College and Boston
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HL. Arthur Griffith did the work of 14 clerks for a period of three hours to win a wager. Arthur was perhaps the greatest human mathematical calculator that ever walked on the face of the earth. President W L. Bryan of Indiana University wrote as follows: “In the fall of 1899 Arthur Griffith of Milford. Kosciusko County, came to Indiana University at the invitation of Prof E. H. Lindley in order that his remarkable ability as a lightning calculator might be fully investigated Griffith was taken to the American Psychological Association at Yale University so he might demonstrate his powers A further report was made by the International Congress of Psychology in Paris in 1900. ’’ To the psychologists the greatest question about Arthur Griffith was not what he could do but why he did it. Nobody has ever advanced the theory to explain why Griffith could juggle with figures mentally and always arrive at a correct answer. Dr. D A Rothrock, mathematic instructor at Indiana University, said they were unable to teach Arthur Griffith such analytical mathematics as coordinate geometry, trigonometry and college algebra. His ability was confined to the four fundamental operations of addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. However, Arthur worked out the binolial theorem, the power formula of algebra, on his own accord Dr Rothrock said. “If Griffith could have handled analytical math as he did other kinds, he would have been another Einstein.” In collaboration with W, E. Miller, Goshen. Arthur Griffith published a book known as “The Fast and Speedy Reckoner," This book contains statements of nearly too new mathematical propositions. with an explanation and an example carefully worked out. He attempted to explain his shortcut methods, but even those which seemed most simple to him are far too complicated for the average mind Arthur F. Griffith died in his sleep. December 25. 1911. at Nelson Hotel, in Springfield. Mass. He was at that time appearing at Poli Theater in a vaudeville act. Arthur, with his manager.'E. K. Nadel, was planning a tour through Europe at the time. He is buried in Lake (formerly Felkner* Cemetery southeast of Milford, — Thelma Griffith Coahran
University School of Theology He is the author of some 60 articles in "Encyclopedia Dictionary of Region " He recently returned from Europe where he was doing further research, study and collection development for the society library The seminar wilt be held in the Union Building of the college, with the doors opening at 8:30 am. For pre registration and further information, write Mary Ettinger, r 1 box 1. Mentone. Use trash containers When camping or picniung. help keep America beautiful by placing all trash in the area trash cans or take it to the nearest roadside trash containers. Sing songs NASHVILLE. TENN. - "On ward Christian Soldiers” and "Battle Hymn of the Republic” will remain in the United Methodist hymnal, the church decided recently, after the panel that found the songs too militaristic was denounced as anti-American and "softheaded”
X $ * Ji OStJr V Dale Kuhns Minister