USA > Indiana > Grant County > Centennial history of Grant County, Indiana, 1812 to 1912 : compiled from records of the Grant county historical society, archives of the county, data of personal interviews, and other authentic sources of local information > Part 20
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John A. Anderson succeeded Mr. Hill in the management of the Marion office in 1875, and for thirty-two years he was in charge of local telegraph business, Fred Rohrer, who succeeded him, having been with him as an operator for twelve years when Mr. Anderson's death occurred in 1907, and he was promoted to the vacancy. Mr. Roh- rer recalls that local telegraph business was for many years limited to death notices, it being expensive to "wire" a message, but with cheaper rates death messages are now a small factor in the telegraph business.
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While it once cost $1.50 to send ten words to Chicago- the rate reg- ulated by the distance-there are now commercial rates and business is largely transacted by telegraph, The Western Union has patron- age all over Grant county, and from messenger boy to local superintend- ent is the history of the Marion office.
It is said that the Fairmount town board saved the citizens of Grant county "many a penny" through the franchise it granted the Indiana Union Traction Company "along in the nineties" by controlling the amount of fare, and while franchises are frequently granted the same precaution is not always faken-and yet self-protection is as neces. sary with municipalities as with individuals. Publie enterprise is usually encouraged, and "bonus" is a word well understood by many publie-spirited citizens. Private ownership of public utilities in Grant county is the rule, and the water system constitutes the exception. In a few instances the water is furnished by private enterprise, and air and sunshine are the commodites not as yet commercialized, and the question of economics always will claim attention. Telegraph sys- tems are only possible through privileges granted -- right of way, and where citizens are wise they control the situation. Electric storms are the worst enemy, and wires must be properly adjusted to transmit messages.
The seventies were eventful years in Grant county, and those who remember Monroe Hill as a telegraph operator also remember his purchase of a Louisiana lottery ticket with #2 invested and that he di $30,000 in cash, saying nothing about the immense business in lottery tickets that ensued. and after building a mansion on MeClure street for himself, he installed the old artificial light plant along the river bank at the end of Eleventh street, now used as a coal office. Marion stores and many residences were bghted as a result of his fortunate invest- ment, although the fortune was not his for many years. Mr. Hill brought the Hamilton Brothers to Marion, who were the first exten- sive plumbers in the county, but since that time Grant county citizens understand about plumbers and their bills when improvements are in progress. This artificial gas plant was installed in 1877, and later Sammel Woods, John Woods, D. B& Sweetser, J. N. Turner and R. . ). Spencer had investments there, and when natural gas was discovered in 1857 its days were numbered, coal gas costing more than the natural article.
When the Mississinewa Mining Company was organized, mostly foreign capital, with J. F. Gabbey in charge of the local office, the ar- tificial gas plant was "taken over" by the company and the mains were utilized for a time, but larger service pipes were required and every- body used the new fuel. For a quarter of a century there existed a bountiful supply of gascons fuel provided by nature, the first gas well in Grant county being developed between Washington and Boots streets south of Fourteenth, in February, 1887, and all the territory south of .Marion was excellent producing territory, gas wells not proving prof- itable north of Marion until the field south was well nigh exhausted. While there were numerous gas wells, the local oil development cane in with the century and lasted only through one decade, and yet it made some Grant county families wealthy. It put many farmers out of debt and left them with comfortable bank accounts who knew the full meaning of financial struggles, and while in the best producing oil territory farming had to be practically abandoned for a time, oil was a blessing to the community. Men could afford to abandon agri- enlture when revenue was coming easier to them, but after one dreade
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of such prosperity the clank of the shacklerod was heard no longer in Grant county.
All through the gas and oil period the derriek was a familiar struc- ture, but the child born today will be as ignorant of it as its parents had been when they were children, unless by rare good fortune there should be a return of nature's bounty in Grant county. While for- lunes were thus accumulated, it is urged that the profigate use of natural gas hastened the oil development and shortened the life of both commodities. Wise heads counseled Indiana law makers to allow other cities to come to the gas belt rather than allow natural gas taken away, but without avail, and an exhausted field is the result. It was necessary to drill only about a thousand feet into the earth and enor- mous quantities of high grade gaseous fuel came rushing forth- "feels like wind," said a school boy in describing it; and while nature's own fuel was abundant fortunes were accumulated, and an impetus was gained in this section of budiana that was a surprise to the natives themselves. Cities grew up in the entire gas belt territory, comprising about fifteen Indiana counties, and manufacturing plants were every. where established and Grant county had its full share in the general prosperity. Its fortunate location in a fertile agricultural district was the means of establishing within its bounds conditions that for the general welfare of the people have hardly been equaled-certainly not surpassed on the face of the earth, and there was a time when Gas City was not a misnomer for any town in Grant county.
For a score of years everybody used natural gas for all domestre purposes-only necessary to turn a key and strike a match. and fire was instantaneous, and the original Marion boomers promised natural gas as a fuel to manufacturers everywhere, and whenever a plug hat came to town, the pent-up supply would be liberated not alone In Marion, for every neighborhood had the strongest local pressure and many fortunes were burned up in free demonstrations. The Amabe well was at Fairmount, and old men of the community realized its strength when they walked in front of the escaping Fuel, and derricks on fire were frequently reflected against the landscape. It was arti- ficial gas in the beginning. and the jime has come again when it is no longer possible to secure natural gas for fuel and the manufactured article has been substituted. There are rural families who "took time by the forelock" and purchased gas wells and pipe lines for private consumption, and blazing tires are still seen in grates, but not all are so fortunate and natural gas is but a memory in most Grant county households.
During the time natural gas was in use there were many independ- eni gas companies in both town and country, and there was an interim of several years in some communities after the natural product was exhausted before the manufactured article was substituted. but finally in 1911 the Central Indiana Gas Company solved the problem-over- came the difficulty. The factories that had been attracted hither by natural gas as fuel soon resorted to coal and producer gas, but the prop lem of domestic use was slower in its awakening. although artificial gas again serves the need of Grant county consumers. The Central Indiana Gas Company has acquired the properties and pipe lines of a number of natural gas companies and it has added to these plants until it now has capacity for taking care of the present demand, and an increased demand upon it. Its service is not limited to Grant county, and while in the past the fuel supply was found in the strata lying about a thousand feet beneath the surface of the earth, the present supply is found in solid form in the hills and mountains of the coal-producing
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states, and artificial gas is manufactured from it. The Central Indiana Gas Company distributed a booklet describing the process, and saying that with the great improvements that have been made in appliances. artificial gas is an economical fuel. While the community mourns the loss of natural gas, the manufactured article is an excellent substitute for it. While many families had contributed to John D. Rockefeller's fortune by buying coal off and gasoline stoves, the Central Indiana Gas Company has demonstrated its ability and modern gas burners are being installed in the homes of the entire county, as pipe lines are ex- tended to them.
The discovery of natural gas in 1887 delayed the installation of an electric lighting system in Marion several years, plans having been
No. 3 GAS WELL IN 1987
laid in 1886 for such enterprise. O. H. Kellar and M. C. Meade, two prominent Marion business men that long ago were contemplating the venture, and Elkanah Hulley, W. W. MeCleery and W. L. Lenfesty represented the interests of the town by visiting other cities where lighting systems had already been installed, but with the advent of natural gas no such franchise was asked for until in the carly nineties. It was in 1892 that Kellar and Meade installed a generator in their chair factory, the same machinery running the factory by day operating the lightning system by night, and after wiring part of the town and fully demonstrating the profit in the business, Mr. Meade sold out his in- terests in the chair factory and devoted his attention to the manu- facture of electricity. There was also a city electric plant located in
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the edge of Waterworks Park that furnished light for several years, but unlike the water system it was deemed an expensive investment and it was abandoned, the city buying current rather than produce it. Now other towns have their own plants or buy electricity and many rural homesteads are thus lighted, souwe taking current from traction lines and others producing it themselves.
Mr. Meade was in the lighting business in Marion until 1900, when he sold out to a number of Marion citizens and the Marion Light and Ileating Company is now a subsidiary electric company-a branch of the American Gas and Electric Company of New York City, of which R. E. Breed. Jr., is president, and his company lights many American vities. When the headquarters of the company was still in Marion, B. F. Burk and (. A. 11. Shideler, along with Mr. Breed, controlled it, and the designation remains the same-the Marion Light and Heating Company. Current is supplied the M. B. and E. Interurban line and in turn to many rural and Van Buren private consumers, and the town of Van Buren is illuminated from it. Jonesboro, Gas Chy. Fairmount and Upland are all supplied from Marion, and the Marion and Muncie plants are so connected that each may relieve the other, as in the 1913 food the Marion plant was inundated for a time. When the municipal lighting plant in Marion was temporarily abanoned the Marion Light and Heating Company seeured a contract with the city -- moonlight schedule; and when asked how much electricity was being mannfar- tured daily, S. 11. Smith, local manager of the company, said that speaking of kilowatts would be like counting the raindrops or number ing the grains of sand, but that many carloads of coal were daily con- verted into light. heat and power at the Marion plant by the river. In this way families are relieved of details in domestic economy that is a benediction to them and a profitable investment for the American Gas and Electric Company.
While the Marion Light and Heating Company is controlled from New York City there are prople who think it has a great deal of local politieal influence, and the company has made great effort to advance its own business interests. While O. II. Kellar and M. C. Meade were the originators, and a man who cleaned lamps for them declares they were operating an eighty-live are lamp prior to 1890-that they oper- ated for a time without having secured a franchise,-they disposed of a valuable holding at a time when it would have turned them a fortune. Neither of the original owners are living today, nor is there much record showing their relation with the modern lighting system in vogue in the community.
Citizens of Grant county would not want to live the life of today without the Friend on the wall-the telephone. This invention has played its part in the industrial, mercantile and social development of the community, and both town and country are served by the telephone system. When the telephone was first installed it was the Western Telephone Company, represented by John A. Anderson, and Marion citizens today pay him tribute-that he was a Imsiness man ahead of his time, and he did not always have easy sailing in advancing public interests. It was along about 1879 that Mr. Anderson began such agi- tation, and along in the eighties there were business men's junkets from all over Indiana and other states to witness the model plant, and to secure data toward establishing similar plants in other cities. Marion was much in the public eye owing to the advanced ideas of Mr. Ander- son, and he will be remembered in history as among the most public- spirited men ever living in the commmity. He was local manager until 1900, when the Western Union Telegraph system required his
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time, and those who say that natural gas was the ageney, the impetus that brought the telephone, must also give eredit to Mr. Anderson, who had it in operation several years before natural gas was discovered in Grant county.
The first improvised Marion telephone was established between the homes of Philip Diels and Philip Patton in 1878, when they lived tear each other-tin cans used for receivers, and the line was put it by William Bradshaw of Delphi, a guest in the Diels family, who connected the two houses with a cotton string, and all went well until a load of hay demolished it. Marion people would visit other places and see and hear telephones, and finally Mr. Anderson furnished the telephone of commerce before other nearby cities were thus equipped. There were tin can lines between many homes, and the story was told that Jack Venters, the famous negro merebant in the "settlement," installed one between his store and his home, and he employed his spare time talk- ing to "Frances" about her household duties, always calling to her to run to the phone when he would see her in the garden. To show the growth of the patronage, people used to inquire of others: "Do you have the phone ?" while now they inquire the telephone number, taking it for granted, and yet it is said there is only about lifteen per cent development, showing to what great possibilities the improvement may yet be carried. With all the talk about horseless carriages and wireless messages, the "girlless" or automatic telephone has not yet made its local appearance.
The telephone rental used to be $4 a month under the original sys- tem-the old Bell telephone,- - until a local stock company-T. W. Over- man, Thad Butler, Wilson Addington and J. A. Gauntt-was formed, and later the United Telephone Company absorbed all existing inter- ests-this in the nineties,-and some of the stockholders say that only for their enterprise Grant county would still be under the old rule- the original system with no improvements. While there are 3,800 tele- phones in use in Marion, and 7,000 in the entire county, there are still many families who do not have this direct comummication with the world. The present investment of the United Telephone Company is half a million dollars, and the upkeep is an enormous expense. It is said that the office equipment, switchboards and everything wears out in about ten years, and a second investment is necessary. The Marion Telephone Company was only in operation long enough to reduce prices and sold out before it had ineurred wear and tear expense, and every little while there is falk of other companies entering the field, although $1.50 a month is the present rate of single line service. Subscribers cannot own their own telephones-must pay a rental to the corpora- tions.
The Sweetser Rural Telephone Company, the first rural exchange in the county, came into existence January 20, 1903, although many country people had the service prior to that time, and now there are many local stock companies serving rural patrons. The Sweetser Rural Company has always had more stockholders than renters, and sometimes assessments are necessary, while the reverse has been irne of the Sway- zee plant, and assessments are rarely made upon subscribers. The rental is sufficient for the maintenance of the system. The rurals are now all cooperative stock companies, although many rural patrons are served From Marion and there is free interchange between Marion, Gas City and Jonesboro subseribers, while toll is charged to other points in the county. When Mr. Anderson was extending the local telephone service into the country, the subscribers took shares of stock in the form of $25 worth of tickets which were redeemed as rental, and thus the
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subscriber himself make the original investment although he did not have permanent exemption from rental. While town subscribers always have paid rental, rural subscribers had shares for which tickets were issued, and yet none would be without telephone advantages. There is argument always and knowledge of the markets every morning has saved the price of the telephone to many a subscriber-and Mr. Ander son is remembered by Marion business men as a man who did the com mumity a lasting service.
Most of the independent or cooperative companies had free tele phone connection with Marion and the entire county until social abuses made it necessary to change the system. "The line was busy" too often when urgent messages must be sent, and the prohibitive toll system was the only method of regulating the patronage. While several of the cooperative companies have enough renters that they need not levy assessments, the revenue from tolls helps keep up the system and all around it is more satisfactory on account of the social use made of the lines in business hours. The first long distance telephone communi ration was between New York City and Chicago, October IS, 1892. and within a year Mr. Anderson made similar demonstration before the Marion Commercial Club, and Grant county has always been in the foreground with telephone service. Many telephone cables are buried in Marion to lessen the danger from wires overhead, and to rid ile downtown district of the poles through the streets. "The reason most people are too ready to make complaints against telephone service is because they do not understand what is required in making a telephone connection, " and a visit to an exchange is always of interest -amazing to the subscriber who never saw the "Hello" at the switchboard, and who thinks she is having her annual vacation when he wants to use the line -- to tell-ephone.
There are utilities galore that do not come under franchise restric- tions, and the butcher, baker, grocer-any dealer in family commodities, is just as essential and the man who would supply the public need should be conscientions and do his duty by his customer, and except in utilities bound up by franchise the public has the one alternative-may transfer its patronage. Outside the utilities covered by franchise there has been little cooperative efort in Grant county. The farmer who regularly supplies his products to customers in town is under the same moral obligation as the great corporations who reap periodical stipends from the patrons, but only those who have written agreements are thought of under utility mention. The dairy that supplies an in- ferior quality of milk is easily regulated -patronage the basis, and if the blacksmith does good service the patron comes back again, and the dealer in every article must know its pedigree and guarantee it to the customer. The franchise should safeguard the interest of the people. and utilities should be the servants-not the masters.
XXII. MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEMS AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS
While death is regarded as the last enemy, water and fire are the most destructive agencies unless there is system-proper control of them. The superintendent of the water system is certain the firemen can do little to avert impending danger unless his department is in work- ing order, and thus water is the antidote when a condlagration is rag- ing. It was only after several most destructive fires that the Marion
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water works became a reality, and in a little booklet: "History of the Marion City Water Works, " Elkanah Hulley says: "In the early days of Marion all the fire protection was by bucket brigade, to which all residents -- men and women belonged. The women often proved equal to the men as firefighters, although the task of throwing the looking glass out of the upstairs window and carrying down the feather beds was left to the men. It was not until the town had been visited by some serions fires that a Babcock fire extinguisher was purchased. * * * Then began the first real, earnest agitation for a water works system, the late Samuel Hulley being the prime mover in creating sen- timent for it. After considerable agitation a petition was circulated and signed by three hundred and forty-five citizens, representing five- eighths of the taxable valuation of the property of the town.
"The appraised valuation at that time was $1,076,630. The peti- tion was presented to the town trustees by Andrew Diltz, June 20, 1876, praying that a debt be contracted and bonds issued to the amount of $35,000 for the purpose of establishing a system of water works for fire protection and domestic purposes. Remonstrances were filed, but not sufficient to overcome the five-eighths majority provided under art of the legislature of 1852, under which law the Marion plant was estab. lished. At a meeting of the town board, August 23, 1876. Charles Reece presented an ordinance providing for the construction, operation and maintenance of a water works system, providing for the issuing of bonds amounting to $35,000 to run from live to twenty years, and the ordinance was passed by unanimons vote of the board. On January 17, 1877, lo1 55 in White's fourth addition was purchased from George White upon which to locate the building and well," and Mr. Hulley's pamphlet gives all the details of installation and the information about additional territory until the present park was established adjoining the plant.
The success of municipal ownership of the Marion water works has always been an argument used by Socialists in advancing their theories, and acting upou the theory that " An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of eure, " frequent tests of the purity of the water have been made with satisfactory results. Before there were so many wells, when the supply was low, the water from Boots creek was sometimes turned into the mains, and then citizens who thought the water absolutely pure would be bilious for a while after hearing about it. Mr. Hulley's booklet says: "The water works plant is self-sustaining, the income meeting all expenses of operating, payment of bonds and interest, and making extensions," and if all men in charge of similar institutions would compile such booklets, the future historian as well as the entire community would be indebted to them. There are more than forty miles of water mains along Marion streets, and the plant has a pump- ing capacity of 9,000,000 gallons daily with one big pump in reserve for emergencies. There about 4,000 consumers and about 350 tire plugs with about 120 pounds pressure to the square inch when a lire is in progress.
There are water systems in Jonesboro, Fairmount, Gas City and Upland, private enterprises in Jonesboro and Upland, but drinking water all through the county is considered pure-there being few sur- face wells, and underdrainage has changed carly day conditions when there were so many contagions chargeable to the water supply. Deep water wells are drilled into limestone ranging from 120 to 300 feet, the drift cased off and the general health is good owing to the purity of the water supply. The dng well at the family homestead is the exception, except where the well has been in operation many years. Vol. 1-9
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MARION WATER WORKS PARK
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Along with its water mains Marion has about seventy-five miles of im- proved streets, and the fire fighters no longer have to plow through mud in reaching their destination. There are almost forty miles of sewers, and the city sanitation is considered excellent. It is conserv- atively estimated that one and one half million dollars have been ex- pended on streets and sewers, and visitors no longer refer to deplor- able street conditions. Along in the '80s there were muddy streets. Fourth street, paved in the early '90s, was the first brick street in Indiana. The city covers an area of more than 3,000 acres, and the principal business district is adjacent to the courthouse square.
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