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· Facts About Warsaw

· New Telephone System
· Ye Older Immigrants
· The Pole Raised
· 3 at the Cross Roads
· Early Newspaper History
· Fine Lot of Ice
· Snow storm 1873
· Fish Stories
· From an old Comrade


Facts About Warsaw
Northern Indianian August 13, 1896

A Few Truthful Assertions Concerning the Tri-Lake City--
While Our Citizens Are Not Generally Boastful, Yet It is a Fact that Warsaw Can Lay Claim to ...

Pride.
Four hotels.
Three lakes.
Two florists.
Three banks.
Ten churches.
No anarchists.
Seven saloons.
Two railroads.
Four cobblers.
One feed store.
Three jewelers.
Few Democrats.
A public library.
A few old maids.
Good mechanics.
Five drug stores.
Four shoe stores.
Five restaurants.
A Military Band.
Fine shade trees.
Two book stores.
One opera house.
Bright prospects.
Two ice retailers.
'Steen dray lines.
Two feed stables.
Not much wealth.
Too many loafers.
Virtuous maidens.
No vacant houses.
Two flouring mills.
Numerous suckers.
Many Republicans.
Not much poverty.
Two livery stables.
Brilliant ministers.
A fine court house.
Several "chinchers."
Honest young men.
Eight barber shops.
Five meat markets.
Two G. A. R. Posts.
Two general stores.
Good business men.
Many church-goers.
Half dozen bakeries.
Three dental offices.
Pretty young ladies.
A telephone system.
Too much profanity.
A military company.
Many smart lawyers.
Two furniture stores.
A number of kickers.
Not many foreigners.
Numerous grumblers.
Three photographers.
A population of 5,000.
Plenty of good water.
Four millinery stores.
Solid business blocks.
Probably 200 bicycles.
Four hardware stores.
Gas and water-works.
Clean business streets.
One department store.
An electric light plant.
Beautiful surroundings.
Numerous dressmakers.
Several chronic kickers.
Lots of wild young men.
Excellent public schools.
Men who want the earth.
Five cigar manufactories.
Rich farms surrounding it.
A rich supply of gossipers.
Four good hose companies.
Handsome married women.
A score of boarding houses.
Five large dry goods stores.
Many handsome residences.
Citizens with unlimited gall.
Many liberal hearted people.
Weeds in many portions of it.
Three public school buildings.
Four tailoring establishments.
A full supply of sons-of-guns.
A great deal of musical talent.
A few "very close" individuals.
A splendid water-works system.
Two fine clothing establishments.
Plenty of marriageable young ladies.
Three building and loan associations.
The "Is-it-hot-enough-for-you" fellow.
An institute for the cure of inebriates.
Three efficient custodians of the peace.
Seventeen groceries and no competition.
An intelligent and progressive population.
A large majority in favor of McKinley.
Plenty of young ladies in search of husbands.
Many lady cyclists, but no more bloomers.
Ten physicians, who all feel confident of the future.
More lodges than any other city of its size in the State.
Many "young ducks" who would like to own the town.
Being within a short distance of beautiful Lakeside Park.
Being in close proximity to the great Winona Assembly.
A number of persons who have no visible means of support.
Three justices of the peace who seldom discharge the defendant.
The reputation of being the cleanliest city in Northern Indiana.
Two undertakers, whom every citizen is trying his best to boycott.
Plenty of women who are eternally gossiping about their neighbors.
Two marble shops, at which places people only talk business as a last resort.
Good society, consisting both of vivacious and modest young ladies and fine appearing young men.
Too many young men who are earning their living by the sweat of their (sometimes poor) father's brow.
And if you would like to know of anything else that Warsaw possesses, just take a day off and sit down and figure it out for yourself..


New Telephone System
Northern Indianian July 23, 1896

Within two weeks the Warsaw Telephone company's system will be in operation in this city. The work of constructing the line has been going forward for the past few weeks and the poles are all placed in position. W. T. Van Vactor, the manager of the company, has been supervising the work and states that the central office will be located in Mayor Moon's room over the postoffice. Between seventy-five and one hundred subscribers are already on the telephone list and many more will probably be added.


Ye Older Immigrants
Northern Indianian July 28, 1904

In a Communication Thomas Woods Gives List of Eighty-three From One Ohio county.
Editor Daily Times:
Dear Sir
When in attendance at the funeral of George B. Richhart on Sunday July 10,(he being a son of the first immigrants to Warsaw from Champaign county,Ohio) the thought came to my mind of how largely the city of Warsaw, Wayne township and Kosciusko county are indebted for their growth and prosperity to the immigration and settlement therein, of families and persons from the township of Goshen, Champaign county, Ohio, wherein the little village of Mechanicsburg is situated. Such thoughts occurred to me often for several days thereafter, and finally I concluded that I would, from memory, pencil down a list of such families and persons who have died since their removal to this county, and herewith furnish you such list for publication, thinking that it may be of interest to many of your readers, and especially to the host of survivors and descendants of those early immigrants, as follows:
Aborn, Obed H.
Aborn, Mary
Aborn, Thomas E.
Allison, John B.
Aspinall, Joseph
Albertson, William
Albertson, Airy
Blue, John L.
Blue, William
Caples, Mrs. John F.
Daisy, Moses
Daisy, Rhoda
Evans, Adam
___ Evans, his wife
Evans, John Sr.
Evans, John
____ Evans, his wife
Felkner, Margaret (Woods)
Grove, John W.
___ Grove, his wife
Grove, Anna
Gill, John D.
____ Gill, his wife
Gill, Sophia
Gill, Susan (Mrs. O. B. Turner)
Henry, William
___ Henry, his wife
Jerman, Daniel
Johnson, Mrs. Jesse (Allison)
Kist, Amos T. S.
___ Kist, his wife
Kist, Philomela
Kist, Solomon
___ Kist, his wife
Mulford, David
___ Mulford, his wife
Millice, John
Millice, Rebecca and daughter
Millice, Mary
Millice, Nelson
___ Millice, his wife
Millice, Emeline and son
Millice, David
Millice, Henry
Millice, James and wife
Millice, Sophia
Marvel, Benton II
___ Marvel, his wife
Marvel, Sarah
Neff, David
Neff, Abraham
Neer, Edward
___ Neer, his wife
Neer, Henry___
Neer, his wife
Neer, Albiann
Owens, Aaron
___ Owens, his wife
Rigdon, Lewis
___ Rigdon, his wife
Rigdon, Susannah
Rigdon, Elijah W.
Richhart, Benjamin
___ Richhart, his wife
Richhart, Hannah
Runyan, Mrs. John N.
Sheaff, Bernard
___ Sheaff, his wife
Thomas, Abner B.
Winder, Caleb B.
Winder, Allena
Walters, Jacob
___ Walters, his wife
Walters, Mary
Walters, Daniel
Woods, Adam S.
___ Woods, his wife
Woods, Margaret
Wynant, John
Wynant, David S.
Wynant, Ruth
Wynant, James
___ Wynant, his wife
Wynant, David
___ Wynant, his wife
Wynant, Wm D. N.
Wynant, Lizzie
Wynant, Daniel
___ Wynant, his wife
Wynant, Ann and daughter
Wynant, Nancy
Wynant, Elizabeth
The total is eighty-three, and the reader must bear in mind that the list includes only the dead of these early immigrants. Many of the survivors of families and their descendants are yet living. For instance there are six descendants of the late John Milice, all having families. And one peculiarity about the early immigrants was that they were, in politics, nearly all Whigs and Republicans and aided largely to the steady growth of the Republican party in Kosciusko county. Only three of such immigrants were Democrats, and one of them soon became a Republican. As an illustration of the welcome received by the Whig population of the county, I will state that back in the '40s, when the late Judge James S. Frazer was editor of the Kosciusko Republican, after the arrival of a train of such early immigrants, he published the fact and added: "Warsaw's doors are wide open; let them come; they are all Whigs." What "Champaigner," without careful study, as I have made, would have thought that eighty-three of such early immigrants have passed into the great beyond. Surely, life is but a span, and many may soon follow. Mary Pyper so perfectly describes life that I here insert it and close.
"I came at morn, 'twas spring, I smiled;
The fields with green were clad,
I walked abroad at noon, and lo!
'Twas summer, I was glad.

"I sat me down, 'twas autumn eve,
And I with sadness wept;
I laid me down at night and then
'Twas winter, and I slept."
---THOMAS WOODS,
Warsaw, July 18, 1904


The Pole Raised
Northern Indianian May 21, 1896

And a Very Handsome One it is Too, When Decorated with "Old Glory."
Readers of this paper are aware that Dr. White, of the Warsaw Institute, has been preparing to raise a flag-staff on the "Wallace Place" for some time. On Saturday last Thomas Lehew with his efficient tackle raised the pole in very short order, notwithstanding the fact that it stands 132 1/2 feet above the ground. When the necessary tackle was got in place, not over three quarters of an hour was consumed in elevating the handsome pole to an erect position. Dr. White has shown considerable skill in erecting this fine mast for he made the splicing himself --a mechanical feat that is considered quite difficult even among skilled men. The pole came from the Wallace farm not far from Clunette, and it is a real beauty, tall, slender and perfectly upright, just like the Republican party which it represents. The raising of flag-staffs has fallen out of custom within the past decade to some extent, but the time was when every town and village in the country during a political campaign floated the flag from a tall pole, and in most cases one representing each party. It was not at all uncommon to see them even at farm homesteads, the neighbors of the same political faith assembling to help raise it aloft. The Doctor has received many compliments over the beautiful mast he has erected.


3 at the Cross Roads
Northern Indianian May 21, 1896

Queer Coincidence
Mr. Easterday, who took the remains of Mrs. H. C. Robinson to the Franklin Church cemetery in a hearse Wednesday, relates quite a queer coincidence that occurred a short distance west of Silver Lake while on the way to the cemetery. At a cross-roads, at the point indicated, he met and passed a funeral procession going south and at the same point another was going north, while he himself was going west. All three were on their way to different cemeteries. A hundred years ago the superstition among the people would have manufactured a gruesome tale out of such an occurrence, and "old wives" would have had fearful forebodings for the future, and predict the meeting of three funeral corteges as ominous of something weird and wild for all concerned with the funeral trains.


Early Newspaper History
Northern Indianian June 25, 1896

An Old Timer
We have a sample copy of the original Kosciusko County Republican, issued directly after its removal form Monoquet, then a thriving village north of here, to Warsaw. It is dated January 21, 1847, and carries the name of Andrew J. Bair, still a resident of this city, at its mast-head, as editor. The Mexican war was then in progress, and this particular issue contains an extract from a speech made in Congress on the subject by Col. Baker, who was the commanding officer of an Illinois regiment, but also a member of Congress, before which body the speech was made detailing the sufferings of the U.S. volunteer forces in Mexico. It was an eloquent appeal to Congress for aid, and came from the same man who fifteen years later laid down his life in the defense of his country at Ball's Bluffs, one of the great sacrificial struggles at the commencement of the late great war.

In this issue of the Republican there were a number of contributions written by those who in those days "just scratched down a few ideas just to fill up" --a few of whose progeny still live to haunt the latter-day editor; they not knowing that it is not "filling up" that is required now, but a sensitive nose to know what to leave out of the fin de siecle journal of today, even though it may be a "provincial."

It doesn not contain a single line of local news --not a fragment of news even squinting in that direction. Indeed, none of the country newspapers of that period contained a local department, and so far as we know it was the writer, who as the foreman of the Rochester Flag, was the first to erect a local department under an appropriate heading at the beginning of the third page, and thus began the classifying of home news in that way. This was in 1853, and Messrs. Pershing & Hoover, were owners, publishers and editors of that newspaper --both of them having some years ago mustered on the other side. The younger publishers of today would be surprised to know that previous to the period referred to, it was not at all uncommon for a country newspaper to come out without a single line of editorial, local or home news in its columns. News was almost wholly confined to Legislative and Congressional proceedings, foreign news, long, dreary, wearisome productions from the pen of some doctor or lawyer, served to invoke a reply, and in that way keep up a supply of original matter. The copy before us does not contain either an editorial or a bit of local news; yet it was a fair sample --a first-class one, indeed--of the country newspaper of that day.

The last thirty years have witnessed more improvement in newspapers and their rapid production than can possibly be shown in any other claling, or, rather, business enterprise. Nevertheless, the one referred to is handsomely printed, and was issued only a few months before the writer, as a boy, "set in" to learn the printing business with Mr. Bair, his first duties being to carry the paper, sweep out and keep up the fires, and it is quite likely that we can say what no other man can do, and that is for almost fifty years we are still in the same business in the same town in which we learned the trade, and at the head of the legitimate descendent of the same newspaper. If there is an instance of the kind--and it is possible there may be--we do not know it.


Fine Lot of Ice
Northern Indianian April 2, 1896

Superintendent Berkley of the Eagle Lake Ice Co., states that nearly all of the ice stored in their houses at this place --some 30,000 tons -- has been contracted for. To speak more specifically, 80 percent of the 1895 crop has been sold, and all of the crop of 1896 has been disposed of. The 1895 ice of this company, stored in the houses a little over a year ago, is of unusually fine quality. It is said that it is now as clear as a crystal and is about thirteen inches in thickness. The shipment of this immense amount of ice already contracted for, will give employment to about twenty-five men for nearly six months. This labor will be required in loading the ice on the cars and the work will begin in the early spring, so we are informed.


Snow storm 1873
Warsaw Times Union October 14, 2003

Remember When 75 yrs Ago (1928)
Old residents of Kosciusko County today (Oct. 10) recalled the terrific snow storm which struck this vicinity 55 years ago Monday night [1873], piling up snow four feet deep, which remained until April 18. Never within the memory of the oldest settler had there been such a winter like that of 1873 nor since. For 14 days after the storm broke, never a sight of the sun reached the eyes of man. The thermometer dropped at periods during the winter to 40 degrees below zero and at one time stayed near that point continuously for six weeks.


Fish Stories
Warsaw Times Union, date unknown

Around Our Town and County by Virginia Zuck
When fishermen get to yarning, talk turns to the huge ones seen and reported from around our county lakes in the past. Sometimes tales of "Sea serpents and monsters" have been scoffed at and attributed to the imagination of persons reporting such rarities.

A 109 pound spoonbill catfish caught by Ed, Tony and Simon Osborn in Winona Lake 64 years ago this month was no myth. Garrett Osborn, 117 South Hickory street, has the original photograph of that big fellow, captured by his dad and uncles while seining early one morning in the bay at the southwest end of the lake. Before the turn of the century it was legal to net fish and sell them. The Osborns sold by the wagon load right off the court house square. Local restaurants and hotels had fish on the menu almost daily. Cold fish sandwiches were commonplace at short order counters then.

It's more difficult to believe that once in 1913 five or six sea lions inhabited Pike lake for a brief period. If you doubt the story we refer you to foundry foreman, Ralph Garber of 1509 East Market street, two machinists, Carey Craig, Pierceton and Harvey Craig, 821 East Market, or William A. Nice, general contractor who lives at 303 North Parker street.

In the summer of 1913 these teen-age youngsters were fishing, swimming and playing around the northeast sandy beaches of Pike Lake not far from their homes. On more than one occasion the boys saw the sea lions swimming around the shores through the reeds. What's more they got good, closeup views.

An explanation of how these seagoing animals got into Pike Lake, far away from their usual habitat, seems quite plausible. They had escaped from the Barnum and Bailey and Wallace Brothers circus quarters at Peru, Indiana, the previous April when the whole town and surrounding area was inundated by the worst flood in memory.

Many circus animals drowned, including some elephants and hundreds of people were driven from their homes. Water from the overflowing Wabash river covered the Peru business district. The courthouse square one of the few dry safety islands where the hungry received emergency rations.

Seems the circus sea lions swam from the Wabash river into the Tippecanoe (River) up to Little Pike and then into Big Pike Lake where they could go no farther north in their search for colder water. We don't know how many miles they covered by it must have been quite a distance. No one knows what became of the sea lions. The were never reported after the summer of 1913.


From an old Comrade
Warsaw Daily Times: Aug. 19, 1897

Doubtless a large number of the citizens of Warsaw who lived here at the time of the breaking out of the war will remember the writer of the following - Alonzo H. Hubbard. At the very beginning of the war, and within a day or two after the calling out of the troops by President Lincoln to suppress the insurrection, as it was then called, Mr. Hubbard enlisted inthe first company raised in this county.

At that time he was engaged as an assistant on the building of the old Empire Block, destroyed by fire in 1870, if we remember correctly; but dropping his employment, he determined to obey the call. The company to which he was attached became E company of the Twelfth Indiana Infantry, and as there were thousands of more men offered themselves for the first six regiments that Indiana was required to raise as its quota in the call for the first 75, 000 men, the body of men alluded to either had to accept a longer term of service than they had enlisted for, or sneak back home. Almost to a man they resolved to stay and form a part of the State troops authorized by the Legislature of Indiana, then in session, to serve within the borders of Indiana, the term of enlistment being for one year.

On the night of the first battle of Bull Run Governor Morton ordered the regiment to Indianapolis from Evansville, where it had taken the place of Gen. Lew Wallace's Eleventh Regiment, engaged in blockading the Ohio River at that point. On reaching Indianapolis, the Twelfth was at once mustered into and transferred to the United States service, and on Monday was on its way to Washington. It staid (sic) its year in the Army of the Potomac, and immediately after its muster out at the end of its term, reorganizing "for the war," Mr.Hubbard having been commissioned as a First Lieutenant of Company F, in which he served honorably, faithfully and bravely till the close of the war.

We were reminded of these facts on the reception of his letter, which is as follows:
Nat'l Military Home, Kans., Aug. 17, 1897
Messrs. Reub Williams & Son:
Enclosed find $1 and please enter my name as a subscriber for your paper. I remember your beautiful city as it was in the early sixties and the hospitality of its generous citizens. I have a warm place in my heart for the boys with whom I shared the hardships of war. I have often thought of the editor of the old Northern Indianian, who went out as a comrade and came back as a leader, but still a comrade. I have been without your excellent paper for some time and am anxious to again hear from my old soldier friends, as I always do when I receive your paper. Very respectfully,
Alonzo H. Hubbard.


Foote Re-Acts Crime Today
Warsaw Daily Times April 11, 1932

Confesses to Swatting An Imaginary Fly on Man's Face
Joe Foote, local restaurant proprietor was ready for trial this afternoon for alleged assault and battery on Floyd W. Herald of Elkhart,a newspaper solicitor. Foote pleaded not guilty when arrested and arraigned last Friday afternoon following the altercation which occurred at his restaurant.

Mayor Bibler's court assembled at 1 o'clock with a non-partisan throng present. The Arcade barber shop and other business houses closed doors to attend. Foote passed cigars. He was represented by Attorney Allan Widaman. Prosecutor George Bowser was unable to reach the prosecuting witness by telephone and after a 40-minute wait moved that the charge be dismissed for lack of prosecution.

"I confessed this morning to Chiefie Lucas, who put me through degrees one, two and three," said Foote. "I had the Chiefie mystified until he put the lie-detector, which he brought home recently from Northwestern College for Flatfeet, on me. The detector said we were both liars. It's a wonderful machine, 'cause everyone lies and it can't miss. Lucas also gave me the psychological grill. He trapped me everytime with surprise questions until he tried to tell me sandwiches and pie was 15 cents. Everybodyknows sandwiches and pie is two bits. Then he had me re-enact the crime. I got a copy of The Daily Times, folded it twice like one does when swatting flies, and rehearsed the alleged assault.

"There was a mole on the solicitor's face, which I mistook for a fly, and was brushing at it. That's what made him think I was assaulting him. You know there has never been any flies in my restaurant, so of course I was agitated when I mistakenly thought there was a fly right in my own spotless restaurant on the solicitor's face. If he hadn't moved I would have got the imaginary fly. Chief Lucas commended me on keeping my cafe clear of flies and we hobnobbed and got very chummy. Quite a number of people volunteered to serve on the jury. Al Capone has offered to let me have his room at Leavenworth. And "the Goose Hangs High."

"I didn't see the fly on the insistent solicitor's face until he had deviled me about half an hour to subscribe to his South Bend News-Times. I already take his paper at my restaurant. The salesman insisted that I subscribe for another copy to be delivered at my home. I was boosting Warsaw papers and trade at home campaigns and so refused. I said if I wanted to read the South Bend paper at home I would take my copy from the restaurant and carry it home. Then the solicitor said 'You look like that kind of a cheap-skate.' Then I noticed the imaginative fly on his countenance.

"I promised Chief Lucas to use Flit hereafter but once I got some Flit on the floor and a customer slipped on it and threatened to sue me. But hereafter I'll use Flit."