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 22
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The advent of the steam railway in 1867 changed the mail service in Grant county. The mail was carried on horseback and by stage, and while many know the story of Walker Winslow and his stage route from Andersontown to Wabashtown through Grant county, Marion, Jonesboro and Fairmount thus receiving mail three times a week from either direction, as he would go one day and return the next, others remember that Barney Lugar carried the mail to Muneietown, while Paddy Morgan went once a week to Kokomo and back in the employ of Uncle Sam. Now that everybody reads the daily papers and has the news from the four corners of the world, who pays attention to minor details connected with the mail service? Who knows anything about the rural carriers and their difficulties? Barney Lugar was "small of stature," and yet the mail sack was so large and so heavy that his horse always had a sore back as a result. Paddy Morgan rode a mule named Renben, and sometimes the mule would carry him and sometimes it would throw him off, and onee a "bunch of rags was seen to go over the mule's head, and Paddy Morgan was in them." He was a man of consequence in the community, came from Ireland with Thomas Curran, and when he would reach the edge of Marion he would blow a horn and everybody came to the center to see who got newspapers or letters, and to learn the news from the outside world.
In war times, when Walker Winslow with his "coach and tou would arrive with newspapers conveying intelligence from the front. "Old Abe" was fired in the courthouse yard, the people would assemble and "Tom" St. John, the best reader in the town, would mount a barrel in front of some store and everybody listened while he read the news of the battles-listened in dread Jest the name of a relative would be heard who had fallen in battle. The New York Tribune and the l'in- cinnati Gazette and Enquirer were the principal papers brought into Grant county that long ago, and a special news item From New York would he marked: "Cineimati papers please copy, " but all that is "changed now and while papers may sometimes copy, credit is not often given to the original sheet for its production. After the railways brought the mails to the centers came the star routes, and there were several of them in Grant county. Star route was a name given the mail service to points not reached by the railways, and there was a contract between the goverment and individuals, and the "star route frauds" came in the Rutherford B. Hayes administration. There was an occa- sional robbery of the mail in Grant county, one man coming to grief who always took money out of letters in the " Richard's hofler" between New Cumberland and Trask and there has been one instance of that kind in the history of the Marion postoffice since free delivery was established March 1. 1890, although efficiency has always characterized the service.
The star route system was introduced in 1882 in the United States,
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and like other good things it was soon in use in Grant county. There was a route to Union Grove, Areana and Jadden, and the historian remembers well that in ISSA he was a teacher at Wickersham between Arcana and Jadden, and always watched for the coming of the mail and much of the time the road was so bad it was slow delivery. Arcana people could send out answers to letters the same day by writing them while the carrier was going on to Jadden, and white this mail only came three times a week, the people thought it efficient service. The man who carried the mail from Jonesboro to Trask and New Cumberland seldom made the trip without passengers, and there was quite a revenue from that source for him. Weaver was on the postal map in star route days, but rural free delivery changed many star route postoffices to country groceries again. The last star route in Grant county was from Marion to the Soldiers' Home, the mail always carried by soldiers and two mails a day the result, but recently mail for the National Military Home of Indiana is received at Bethevans, the Panhandle station on the Home campus, and four mails daily are received there. Who does not remember the Russian soldier who had a queer little house on Thirty- eighth street just outside the Home camp, and who died in the mail service between the Home and Marion? It developed that he had a fortune.
The rural free delivery of mail supplanted the star route all over Grant county, and much of Indiana as well as the rest of the United States, and it has had much to do with road improvement nation wide. Perry S. Heath, who was in the postoffice department in Washington when the system came in, did not forget Indiana, and Grant county farmers were universally served almost as early as in any locality. A. B. Comer carried the first experiment route beginning September 1, 1899, and L. E. Rinehart carried route No. 2 and J. A. Carter route No. 3. in demonstrating the efficiency of the system. On August 15, 1902, there were thirty-four routes placed in operation within Grant county, and there was an unsuccessful effort to make of farm news a daily feature in the newspapers. With thirty-four routes in Grant county and some residents being served from Lafontaine, Converse, Windfall and Elwood, there was a complete revolution. . Weekly papers were changed for dailies as rapidly as their time expired, and now all Grant county would be lost without the mail every day- many rural carriers arriving with such regularity that farmers know the hour without looking at the sun to estimate it.
Marion is the only postoffice in the first-class in Grant county. There are no other towns served by carriers, and the delivery clerk at the postoffice still has a busy period after each mail is distributed, although few rural patrons ever ask any more if there is anything for all their Queles, aunts and eonsins -- beginning with the head of each family and asking in turn for each child, many of whom are never known to receive a letter. The delivery clerk still knows when school is out in several Grant eounty towns. Some clandestine correspondents still ask for mail at the Marion postoffice, not caring to have all the family know, and when a servant girl changes locations she always informs the office in whose vare to deliver her mail. The Marion postmaster receives the princely salary of $3,200 and there are always aspirants-politicians who "need the money." While there may be deficits in some of the smaller offices where the sale of stamps does not meet the requirements, the Marion postoffice is a money making institution, and in 1912 it for- warded $24,319.25 to the department at Washington after all current expenses had been liquidated. While the socialist always hold up the
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postoffice as a model institution, they may not understand that it is a money making plant at all.
Every postal clerk knows that an inspector is likely to swoop down on him at any minute, and it behooves him to keep his house in order -to have all his accounts straight. Postal laws and regulations may not always be observed-may be sour grapes to some official, and yet there are always aspirants. Every presidential change brings about many changes in the mail service. and their patronage is one of the means congressmen have of carrying out their designs-and they us- nally award all snaps to their friends. While some farmers "kick 10 beat the band," because they have to go half a mile to the "little steel mail box that brings the four corners of the world to them. " they once had to go all the way to town, and they could not "run to town" every day, while others who were on the mail routes "had no time for daily papers." and would not put up mail boxes for themselves. It was not many years until they conformed to the requirements. Indeed, rural
MARION FEDERAL BUILDING
carriers have been so much appreciated that they are always remem- bered at Christmastide by patrons and it is nothing umisnal for them to find dressed chickens or fresh meat in the mail boxes-placed there for them.
Postal elerks and letter carriers are all under civil service regulations, and efficiency is one of the requirements. While absorbing some of this data in the mailing room of the Marion postoffice, one of the clerks said to the historian: "Where would you send this letter?" and the name of the town was horribly disfigured in the spelling in the super- seription. A card had gone through his hands saying: "Mother is dead," but because it was unaddressed the clerks in the dead letter office were all who ever knew about it. The mailing clerk must often- times anticipate the writer, and supply lacking portions of an address. Freak letters bearing no return card must always be sent to Washing- ton, and the dead letter office has its quota of Grant county correspond- ence. People stand ready to charge all mistakes to the inefficiency of the department when they have made them themselves, and quick per- ception by the mailing elerk often saves the day for them. A delayed train carrying the United States mail disorganizes everything, and if
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the city carrier or the rural mail fails to arrive the whole population served by him is filled with wonder and disappointment. If a bundle of Marion papers for Swayzee is carried by, the rural subscribers all wonder why their paper was not issued, and when it reaches them next day it is ancient history and they do not read it Such is the up lo the minute mail service of the twentieth century in Grant county.
While there is no penalty attached to a man failing to mail letters for his wife, when they are once dropped into the mail box dispatch is the system. There is no relation between the Marion postoffice and other offices in Grant county, each postmaster being responsible direct to the department, and there are rural rontes leading out of all towns in the county except Sweetser. Postal savings and parents post were installed in 1913. and they have been well patronized from the beginning. It required concerted action to establish pareds post on account of lisi ness competition with the express companies, but the people would not now be without it. Who would give up the rural free delivery of mail. although many were indifferent about it ? It was in Isso that the letter postage rate became two cents instead of three, and people still hiv- ing remember other reductions. The stamp collectors have fourished in Gigant county, and any fad is liable to find local devoters. With the Foreign population in Grant county the stamps of many nations find their way into this territory.
There is but one federal building, the home of the Marion postoffice. and it would be an ornament in any city. It was first occupe i No vember 22. 1909, and is one of the best constructed gove a ings in Indiana. It has two full stories and a basement, alatt dation above the surface is of Vermont granite, while the front is of Bedford stone. The side and back walls are of light colored pressed brick trimmed with Bedford stone, and the roof is of tin over wooden framework for it A skylight covers half the roof. furnishing excellent light in the mailing room. The first and second floors are of fireproof construction throughout, and every device known to modern archite ture has been used in making the building substantial. The main en france is by broad steps of Vermont granite from Third street while there is also an entrance from Boots street. A corridor twenty fret wide extends along the south side and halfway around at each end, allowing access to the money order and registry departments and to the stamp windows. There is a series of lock boxes with general de livery and carrier's windows near the entrance. The postmaster and bis assistant each bave private offices and the revenue collectors, civil serv- ive examiners, and the postoffice inspector are accommodated on the sie. ond floor.
The work room is well arranged and well lighted, and there are two immense vaults in connection with the money order department and the mailing room. There is a platform where mail is loaded and unloaded from the wagons, and an outside driveway extends along the north wall making the platform of casy access. There is an employe's rest room in the basement fitted with bath and toilet rooms, and here are the coal bins and heating plant with accommodations for the jan- itor. This government building was a long while coming. although now it is the pride of the community. The first appropriation connected with it was seeured by Major G. W. Steele while he was still in con- gress in 1902, which was $20.000 for the purchase of a building site, and when the George Sweetser homestead was decided upon the ap- propriation was $5,000 short and public spirited citizens made up the deficit in order to locate the federal building where they wanted it. The HIon. Fred Landis was in congress two years later when an appro-
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priation of $100,000 was asked for the building, and when the money was available bids were asked for and the contract was awarded a Chicago firm at less than $90,000. Ground was broken in April, 1908. and September 9 the Grand Lodge of Masons Jaid the corner-stone.
There were elegant shade trees on the Sweetser corner. and an effort was made to save them when the federal building was created. but with Boots and Third streets paved and no space for rain water to reach the roots it has been a problem. While the tree tops had all the sun and rain, the root system was robbed of both. and artificial watering is not quite equal to nature's plan for replenishing the earth. As post- masters come and go they do not leave much record, and literally noth ing is known by the present incumbent about his predecessors except that he is the twenty-fourth man thus honored in the community. 1 postmaster serves until his successor is qualitied. unless removed for Pause, and a list of all Grant county postmasters is an impossibility.
The names of all Marion postmasters with the dates of their ap- pointments follow : Joseph Vermilyea, January 18, 1832: Dr. Joseph Cadwallader. August 31, 1832: Dr. Ezra S. Trask, June 9, IS31; Na than Branson, July 8, 1834: Dr. John Foster, February 1 1-38; Benoni (. login, October 22. 1838; Jeremiah B. Stebbins, May 23. 1-15; Cimon Goldthait, March 22. 1849; Oliver Goldthait, June 25, 1852: David P. Cubberly, April 28. 1853; John W. Dodd, January 16, 1856; Daniel B. Barley. November 21, 1856; David P. Cubberly, October 11, 1860: JJohn Hodge. March 16. 1861; James Noland, April 22. 1-65; Jacob M. Wells. March 22. 181; Bavid Overman, April 7. 1885: Jas- per A. Gaunt, June 7. 1889; Clarence Hawkins, April S. 1893 ; Fosse M. Ballard. April 2. 1896; James L. Bradford, April 1, 1900; Evan 1. Ferrer, March 15. 1902; Marion F. Evans, May 15, 1906, and all cars are to the ground Congressman (. W. Rauch has the preroga- five. a Democratie postmaster is due who !
When Joseph Vermilyen hecame postmaster the office was designated as Grant Court House there is still a Washington Court House in Ohio and it was during the incumbency of Nathan Branson that the nante was changed in 1836 to Marion in honor of the Revolutionary General. Francis Marion. The Jonesboro postoffice was called Center until 1×441, and Fairmount was Grant until 1852-according to research in some old church records in the county. There have been postoffices in several places under the star route system that were alamploned when rural free delivery was established, and while the government operates the system at a profit, few citizens would care to return to former methods. The postman and the messages he brings is now part of fam- ily life in Marion and in the country, while in all other towns the citi- zens still make daily demands upon the delivery clerks or use lock boxes and thus help themselves -but those accommodated by carriers seldom know the arrival or departure of mail trains all trains at alike to thent.
Soon after rural Free delivery of mail was established in Grant county, Frank C. Heaton, once a resident of Marion, had a poem in The Indianapolis News in which he characterized the postoffice as hav- ing been put on wheels, and he ends it all by saying the worst modern affliction-worse than the tellyphone or the tollygraft, was when they put the postoffice in a waggin. There was a letter in the candle and a letter that never came, and with all the letters most people are glad of Uncle Sam's mail service in Grant county.
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XXV. POLITICAL REMINISCENCES AND PROSPECTS
"There is glory in political conquest. No other field of activities Seems to give to a man so much prestige, and some of us do suffer from the pangs of publicomania. Politics, I say, gives one so much social prominence," and most people think of politics as well enough for moneyed men who seek honor, but how about the drift of things? Pol- iticians meet and Jay plans to save the country-yes, to redeem Grant county, and they have the way of shaking people both before and after the election. "All the people know the methods of politicians such unselfish interest in their affairs until the morning after the ballots have been cast --- The patriotism of the dollar seems to have supplanted the love of country, and the neighbor has been entirely lost in the shof- fle. As conditions exist. the man always seeks the office. We hear him say, it is true that he is only in the hands of his friends, but neverthe- less he is usually in more than receptive attitude. I think it is quite often the case that men misapprehend the demands that community life has made upon them, and it is about time that some of the prevailing customs be reversed. Patriotism is commendable. I believe. but the almighty dollar seems to be the all pervading influence. 1 urged, however, that there is more or less of conspiracy in political wire pulling. Now it is all well enough to count noses and listen 10 the voice of the people, but a nose should certainly be well examined in every instance before we blow it with our suffrage. c * Po- litical wrangles oftener than otherwise result in the whitewinged dove of peace being sent ont to find an olive branch. Partisianism is soon buried in patriotism, and every heart throb is to one common purpose --- the defense of our country."
" AINSLEY QUEERTON " ON POLITICS
While the above nom de plume may be a mystery to some, a Grant county man of affairs and business has attracted considerable atten- tion to himself through the "Ainsley Queerton" newspaper contribu- tions, and his Centennial llistory contribution is:
"Pollyticks in Grant county cameneed when the county wuz very young. Away back when the ching chug of the fax brake and the sound of the axe were heard in the land.
"Part of the people, as now, took great interest, while others stayed at home, working through the day and sitting by the fire of an even- ing, squirting long green juice over the back log. The Democrat party seems to always hay bin although some say it wuz invented by a man by the name of Tom Jefferson. Grant county had quite a number of them in an early day. But they were not destined in go it alone, fur along came the Whig party, declaring there should be no nigger stav- ery in the nothern states. And would be much pleased if there wuz none south of Mason & Dixons plow line.
"Grant county had sum of the best of each. They went to the polls together with only an occasionly fight. Swap varns, beg chaws of one another, drink eider ont of the same mug, until they were ready tu lie down together, az did the lion & the lamb. After a few years came the Republican party, a party that wuz destined to play a great part in the history of the nation & Grant county. A party that haz been victorious in most of the national campaighns. Although it wuz gored in the side pretty severely by the Bull Moose in the late contest. And haz ben compelled tu limp a little. A great many believe it will recover its health and soon be in fighting trim and run with patience the race that is set before it. The good old rally iz a thing of the past.
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
When the people use to gather in from all over the county, some of horse back, some on foot, a great many in wagons -- wagons drawn with from 4 to 10 horses loaded with beautiful girls waving tags, & the goudis of liberty sitting on high. The sprekers stand waz the center ov attraction. It consisted of some boards laid on sum logs with a seat across the back for the wheel horses of the party & the offis sockers tu sit on. There wuz a stand in Front on which was a pitcher with blue bells painted on the sides, containing water fur the orator. The candidate would step in the front and as soon as the cheering would stop he would take a big drink of water & commence hiz oration, which went something like the following: Feller citizens. It iz with great pleasure I stand before you tuelay. 1i never baz been my good fortune tu appear before such an intelegent looking andience as this during my past politiele carcer. (Great applause the base drummer pounds the head of his drimm for 5 minutes. ) We are now approaching a great crisis. The country iz on the verge of ruin. The opposing party which iz now in power iz bringing devastation & ruin. More ap- planse & sum tears. ) Taxes are so high you can't reach them with a 10 ft. pole. (More tears & sumwhat larger.) (Here the speaker while waiting For the dear people to cahu down takes another drink of water. ) The dinner pail is empty. The working man iz sitting on the wood pile waiting for something to turn up. And it must turn up quick or he is a gonner. If things are not changed at this election all stores & public buildings will have to be turned into free soup honses. And. feller citizens, where are you going to get the soup ? The young men of this audience will not be wearing those shamn - of luloid collars that I see encircleing your necks. That dazzle as the midday sun. Big hand elapping. Here the speaker takes drink mum- ber 3.) No, gentlemen, if the tarriff iz not changed soon you cannot sell a 2 galon milk cow fur 8 dollars. All business will stop. The smoke stacks will all stop belching forth sulphurions smoke, as many are thretning.
"Alas, my pretty lasses who stand before me dressed in your beau- tiful attire, if there iz not a change soon you will be wearing break- fast shawls on your heads in place of those beautiful hats- with their flowers & ribbons. Instead of silk shoe laces you will be tieing your shoes with linn bark. (Loud sobs & a rain of tears by the sisters.)
" Elect me to congress and all others that are runing on our ticket & our country iz saved. He wound up in a list of glory. Everyone cheered & the big base drum waz beaten on both ends."
While a group of men were "saving the country" in a private cir- cle, Captain W. S. Marshall recalled that one time when Indiana's great "war governor, " Oliver P. Morton, was a speaker at a Marion rally soon after the war he said that whenever he wanted anything accomplished he sent out to the Republicans of Indiana, but if he wanted it well done he always sent to Grant county Republicans -- a marked tribute to Judge Robert T. St. John, Colonel Asbury Steele and others who were at the hehn in Republican party polities that long ago. While Mr. Marshall himself comes of political fighting stock, his ancestry was "the enemy." It was "His Maiden Effort."
Iliram Brownlee who still "lives on the town lot where he was born," relates that when he first "shied his eastor into the ring." (Roosevelt put his hat in the ring) as a political speaker, he went ont into Monroe to fill an appointment for Colonel Steele, who had been detained at the last minute -- went as an emergency speaker. He was a young man then, and L. M. Overman, candidate for county sur- veyor, went along. They went on horseback to the schoolhouse, where Vol. 1-10
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a large crowd gathered - the bushes were full of horses. David Wall, who was king bee in Monroe Republican polities. inquired : " Where's Steele?" Mr. Overman, who was white in the face, suggested that they return to town. He recognized the disappointment in Me. Wall's manner. but Mr. Brownlee says: "We were there," and Mr. Wall was forced to make the best of it. His speech was written, but the window was open and the paper fluttered away on the wind, and lus maiden effort was finally extempore, and from that date his services were in demand as long as "schoolhouse spellbinders" were the cam- paign policy. He relied on himself and came through with his colors flying, and from that time on he never wrote out what he wanted to say before an audience-said it off hand.
Have political methods changed ? In that day all the politics the people knew were what they heard at the rallies when " Spellbinders" were there and township delegations were the order of the day. The newspapers have long since supplanted the spellbinder, and as a rule the people are better posted on the issues of the day. The day of school house campaigns is in the past, and nowadays the people read and know all about the issues before the speaker arrives-consequently he no longer comes. But while some of the Pold compaigners" live those stories will be told in Grant county. Some of the stump speakers un. derstood the issues and could hold the attention of an audience, while others caused "cold chills to run down everybody's back." and they would go away in disgust. Some of the "old campaigners" would sweat-would work themselves into a perfect furore in delivering their message -- convincing argument, while others were a "frost." a blight. a disappointment. Among the best speakers ever heard in Grant county were: Ben Harrison, Ben Butterworth, C. W. Fairbanks, M bert J. Beveridge, J. Frank Hanley -- but there is difference of opin- ion. W. J. Bryan, W. H. Taft -- and the reader will be able to supply the names of additional orators who have been heard in Grant county. The hyppodrome campaign was in vogue several years, and it was in 1896 that the "six great geuerals" were heard from a rear end of a passenger car, mounting a platform in Marion-the exception to their rule, usually speaking from the coach.
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