USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > Evansville > Evansville and its men of mark > Part 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35
The Board of Managers is a guarantee of the faithfulness with which the work of the Association will be prosecuted. It comprises, as will be seen below, many of the best known ladies of the city, whose names have been identified long since with the Christian work of the city in other fields. The following is a list of their names :
Mrs. Amanda L. Crosby, Prest .; Mrs. Dr. DeBruler, V. Prest .; Mrs. Eliza T. Drew, Sec'y .; Mrs. Phillip Decker, Treas. : Mrs. Edward Bæetticher, Mrs. Jacob Bennighof, Mrs. Willard Carpenter, Mrs. A. E. Schrader, Mrs. Jonas Smith, Mrs. F. M. Sellman, Mrs. Charles Viele, Mrs. Geo. H. Start, Mrs. M. A. Ross, Mrs. Robert Berridge, Mrs. James M. Warren.
We have said that Miss Eleanor Johnson, the Matron of the Home, made the enterprise a success ; and it is true. Cer- tainly, but for the pecuniary aid and noble co-operation of Christian men and women, she could not have achieved success, but it was through these means that she did achieve it. She it was who conceived the plan of directing Christian effort into
382
Evansville and its Men of Mark.
this channel. She took hold of the work when all seemed dark ; when there was opposition and discouragement to be met with, and even captious criticism ; when numbers of people had no faith in the scheme. She is the one who persisted, who agita- ted, planned, solicited and organized the work, and therefore we say, without disparagement to others, to her the credit is due. A passing sketch of her life in connection with the Home will be of interest.
MISS JOHNSON was born in Southborough, Mass, in 1830. In early life she engaged in teaching, and also devoted some time to the work of city missionary, in Worcester, Massachu- setts. Since 1859, she has been well known in our midst, as a faithful Christian worker in neglected fields. From 1859 to 1864, she taught a school in the colored Methodist church,
In the latter year the school was removed to the old Barnes house on Clark St., an old dilapidated structure, which occupied the site of the present colored school building on that street. After great efforts the brick school house, on the corner of Fifth and Chestnut, was ready for occupancy in the beginning of 1866. Miss Johnson taught here six months only, when after nearly seven years in this, at that time, difficult field, she resigned. She was engaged for a time in city mis- sionary work, being employed by several of the churches in connection with each other. Afterward she was for nearly a year at the head of the Orphan Asylum. The work, however, by which she will be best known in the future, is that in which she is now engaged. After all her labors and disappointments, she is now, with long years of life in reasonable prospect, at the head of a well organized, practical, effective institution. It may, will be, that she may yet be the means of doing incacula- ble good, and with the appliances of the EVANSVILLE HOME FOR THE FRIENDLESS, aid in rescuing hundreds from that pit of sin and degradation, which yearly engulfs so many of the daughters of our land.
DR. ANDREW LEWIS.
Dr. Andrew Lewis.
HE subject of this sketch was born on the 19th of April, 1813, in the village of Lewisburg, York County, Penn- sylvania, and was the fifth son of Dr. Webster Lewis, a physi- cian who attained great eminence in the profession of medicine. The father of Dr. Andrew Lewis was the elder brother of the late Ellis Lewis, for many years Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
He was educated in the common schools of his native State, as those schools were then conducted in the German set- tlements, where the elementary branches of an education were only taught, and the text books that were used were far inferior to those that are in use now. Leaving school at the age of four- teen, he was apprenticed to the business of coach-making, and for four or five years continued in that employment, attaining considerable dexterity and skill in the use of such tools as are brought into requisition in the manufacture of coaches, wagons and other vehicles.
Before he had attained the age of twenty, he turned his attention to the study of medicine, under the direction of his brother, Dr. Robert Lewis, then a practicing physician. The reading and study of medicine, with the instructions of his pre- ceptor, laid the ground-work for the good degree of eminence which Dr. Andrew Lewis afterwards attained as a physician, in Princeton and the surrounding country.
He left Pennsylvania in 1839 for a far-western home, intending to settle in Iowa, but stopped in Gibson County, Indi- ana, mainly to recruit his finances, which were reduced to the small amount of twenty-five cents.
The Wabash and Erie Canal being then in course of con- struction, he hired himself to his brother-in-law to drive a cart, but subsequently became the proprietor of two horses and the
384
Evansville and its Men of Mark.
same number of carts, which he continued to work until he was compelled to desist. Three years before starting for the West, he had married Miss Jane Ann McCarer, in Cumberland Co., Penn., who accompanied him. While he was employed in the construction of the canal, his wife became sick, and with the fond affection of a devoted husband, he watched over, and min- istered unto her, until she died, which event occurred in the month of July, 1839. Mrs. Lewis left a daughter eighteen months old, who grew up to womanhood, and is now the wife of James L. Thornton. The extraordinary labors that Mr. Lewis performed, of fifteen hours a day, and the watching and minis- trations to his sick wife, with the great anxiety as to the result in her case, brought on him an attack of disease that came well nigh proving fatal, for he was confined to his bed for four months. After his recovery, in the fall of '39, he taught a Winter school at twenty dollars per month, and as was the cus- tom in those times, and even later, " boarded round." After the close of his school, in the month of January, 1840, he spent one year with his brother, Dr. Lewis, in Boonville, Warrick Co., where he pursued his study of medicine, and in January, 1841, commenced the practice, locating in Winslow, Pike Co., where he remained until April, 1843, when he removed to Princeton, Gibson Co., where he has resided ever since. Then he entered upon the practice of medicine, and continued in it without interruption until the Spring of 1850, when he became a candi- date of the Whig Party, for the office of Clerk of the Gibson Circuit Court, and was elected over Jobn Hargrove, the Demo- cratic candidate, and Peyton Devin, an Independent Whig candidate. The vote by which he was elected, was a clear majority of all the votes cast. At that time the County of Gib- son was Democratic, and yet Dr. Lewis was re-elected in the fall of 1855, over Stewart Cunningham, the regular Democratic nomi- nee. He held the office until the expiration of his second term, which was February, 1859.
On the breaking out of the war, in 1861, he was commis- sioned by Gov. O. P. Morton to recruit the 58th Ind. Reg't. He completed this work in four weeks, and was appointed, with- out solicitation, its Colonel, but did not accept the appointment. The Governor subsequently appointed him Commandant of the
385
Evansville and its Men of Mark.
First Congressional District, and as such he recruited the 65th, 80th and 91st Indian» Regiments, and sent them to the field all properly officered.
The services of Dr. Lewis were highly prized by our War Governor and by the Patriotic Citizens of this part of Indiana, tor they were lavish in his praise, for the active, efficient and patriotic labor he had performed in his country's cause, at a time when it was struggling for its very life. Nor did his labors or devotion to the Union cause cease with his office of commandant, but during the entire continuence of the war, he was known at home and abroad as the friend of the soldier and the soldier's family. His contributions to the cause of his country, and to the wants of those who were in active service as soldiers, and their families, equaled his entire income, and that was quite considerable.
As a citizen, Dr. Lewis has always beenfore most in enter- prizes that have had for their object the bettering of the condi- tion of the people, by advancing their public and private in- terests, and the Town of Princeton would have been far in ad- vance of what it is, if we had been blessed with a few more such men, enterprising and diligent in the use of their means to im- prove the town. He took an active part in the incipient steps that gave us the Evansville & Crawfordsville Railroad, and during its construction in 1851 and 1852 he took a large con- tract on the same and successfully completed it. In 1854 and 1856, inclusive, he undertook, in connection with Judge Hall, the entire drainage of the swamp lands on the Wabash River Bottoms in the County of Gibson. This work was performed under the direction almost entirely of Dr. Lewis. By this drain- age more than 10,000 acres of land. was rendered fit for culti- vation, and a vast district of country was rendered compara- tively free from the Malaria, that had previously made it a very Pandora Box of disease,
In 1868, when the Citizens of New Albany were moving in the organization of a company to build the "Louisville, New Albany & St. Louis Air Line Railway," Dr. Lewis was selected to visit New Albany with a view to securing the location of said Railroad through Princeton, and to his efforts mainly we owe its present location through the County of Gibson and the
49
386
Evansville and its Mon of Mark.
Town of Princeton. Soon after the location of the road, Dr. Lewis undertook the contract of building the ten miles of Rail- road connecting Princeton and Mt. Carmel, Ill. The city of Mt. Carmel had given a conditional subscription of $50,000. By the terms of the subscription the railroad must be built and the cars must be running by the 1st of January. 1871. To save this conditional subscription, he took the contract and in four months completed it. On the 20th of December, the first train made the run to Mt. Carinel. He is now the contractor for the entire Illinois Division of the "Air Line Railroad," from Mt. Carmel to Mt. Vernon, Ill., a distance of 65 miles, on 17 miles of which the cars are running regularly.
While Dr. Lewis has been largely engaged in public works, he has by no means been idle in his private enterprises. The Town of Princeton and the County of Gibson, have been en- riched and beautified by the substantial buildings, consisting of mills, storehouses and other buildings, with private residences. To the farmers of Gibson County he has been a great help, having been the pioneer in the milling business, and for 18 years a purchaser of their grain and pork. He has just now built and completed a large Grain Elevator, where the wheat growers can store their grain safely, and be ready at any time to take advantage of a rise in the market.
Dr. Lewis has been for many years, and is now a man of remarkable business capacity, and he has often born up under pressure in business and enterprises in which he was engaged, that would have crushed other men, and completely unfitted them for their work. If a dark cloud gathers over him, full of storm, and the thunder howls, and the lightnings glare in grandeur, he looks steadily and perseveringly until a silver lining appears, and there hangs his hopes for the coming calm.
Dr. Lewis was married happily the second time on the 24th of December, 1844, to Eliza A. Evans, daughter of James Evans, Esq., on old resident of Princeton, who for nearly thirty years has been traveling by his side the pathway of life, sharing his labors and his honors. She has been with him in feeling in sunshine and cloud, and life with them both has been, and is now happy and prosperous. This union has been blessed with five children, four sons and a daughter. The influence and ex-
387
Evansville and its Men of Mark.
ample of Dr. Lewis as to industry, enterprise and good morals on his family and friends and on the community in and around Princeton, can not fail to be good. His is an example worthy of imitation.
He became connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church a short time before his marriage, viz: in the fall of 1844, and has retained membership in that church ever since, giving probably more liberally of his means, much of that time, than any other member. And now there is no benevolent enterprise in the movements of his church, that he is not with the foremost. As an officer in the church, his counsel is often sought and almost as often as sought it is followed, for he is a safe coun- sellor. Being naturally kind hearted, and easily approached, he is often referred to, and in church enterprises, as in many other things, his liberality has been taken advantage of, and he has given at times, to incite others, even more than he should have given. For a man of as extensive business and driving in his movements for the accomplishment of his ends, he is compara- tively mild in his disposition and temper, yet he is firm and de- cided, and could not be easily moved from his purpose when fully formed.
Dr. Andrew Lewis will be kindly remembered by the large circle of acquaintances and friends, long after the day of his life closes, and it is the earnest wish of his many friends that the sun of his life may go down without any clouds to darken the horizon.
E. G. Van Riper.
-
E was born in the City of New York, on the 4th day of October, 1841, hence is now about 32 years of age. His parents are both of American birth and descent, all of them being of Knickerbocker Stock. His father died when he was six years of age, leaving a large family without a superabundance of this world's goods. He went to school until he was 12 years
388
Evansville and its Men of Mark.
of age, when he started out in the world, to take care of himself, since which time we are happy to say, "He paddled his own canoe," without costing anybody anything. He had several ex- periences until he was 14 years of age, when he entered the business of Messrs. Fatman & Co., of New York, with whom he has always been, and is still connected in business, so he can- not be accused of being a "rolling stone." He remained in the office of the firm in New York, until 1858, when they sent him to the Green River in Kentucky to join Mr. Morris Ranger, of that house, to look after their vast Tobacco interests. He contin- ued living in Kentucky for several years, their business rapidly extending, until at last they covered the entire Tobacco area of Southern Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee, with headquarters at Evansville. Mr Ranger was chief and our sub- ject second in command, but always in the field. Their bus- iness became so vast, that they owned and controlled several steamboats to transport their Tobacco, and in fact they virtu- ally monopolized the Tobacco crop. At the breaking out of the Rebellion, they were doing their largest business. In 1862, after having spent the winter in purchasing Tobacco, this house conceived the idea of engaging in a Cotton operation, along the line of the contending armies. He was sent to Alabama, and did a splendid business there, until the fall of Memphis, when he removed his headquarters there, and immediately started on a trip through the federal lines in Arkansas. He went about 80 miles in the interior, crossed the St. Francis River, and on the fourth day was captured by the Rebles and charged with being a Spy. After wandering for two weeks in the bushes with them, he was at last taken to Little Rock on foot, and thrown into jail. He remained there three weeks without hear- ing what was to become of himself, and without having a friend in the State. Gen. Hindman was in command of the confederates. Mr. Van Riper wrote several letters to headquarters asking to be heard or released. At last one Sunday afternoon, he was escorted by a guard of Soldiers to the Anthony House in Little Rock, and went through the farce of a trial before a drumhead court martial, composed of three officers. Of course he had no witness, and they would not take his word for anything. It was enough that they charged him with being a Spy and found him
389
Evansville and its Men of Mark.
guilty, and sentenced him to be hanged on the Tuesday following at 12 M., not a very agreeable prospect to say the least for a young man. He was apprised of it and became reconciled. On Monday night a new commander for that dis- trict arrived, General Holmes, an old U. S. Army officer ; had traveled night and day from Richmond, to relieve Hindman, on account of his cruelties. There was a reign of terror in Little Rock, and hanging and shooting were the order of the day. Gen Holmes reprieved everybody under sentence, and after a re-examination of his case he sentenced him to the penitentiary to remain during the war. This was in July, 1862. He was kept in solitary confinement for a period of five months, spending his twenty-first birthday in prison. He was now released through the intercession of President Lincoln, acting through Gen. Sherman. Messrs. Fatman & Co, had labored hard to this end. He came out a sickly young men, having lost 45 lbs by the wretched treatment which he received. He returned to New York, recruited his health, and returned during the same winter to Evansville. He resumed his place in business, and continu- ed so until 1865, when he succeeded Mr. Ranger, as chief in all their western business, with an interest in the firm. He con- tinued to prosecute as large a business as before, and never interfered with politics or public affairs until 1868, when he was called upon to allow the use of his name as a candidate for Councilman from the 3d ward. His opponent was Peter Semonin. It was an exciting contest, but our subject received two majority and the certificate of election. He and one other were the only ones of the Democratic Party who were elected. The remainder of the board were of the opposition. The latter, on the plea of fraud, determined to unseat our subject, and being assured they would do so, he resigned. The next year he was nominated for councilman in the 2d ward, which contained a large majority of his political opponents. He now thought he would see if politics ruled everything. He was elected by twenty-six majority, and the council was now composed of a majority of his political friends. Unfortunately for the new coun- cil, Mr. Van Riper and his friends were all new hands in the business, and the Mayor, Hon. Wm. H. Walker, was taken sick at the beginning and remained so until he died. Mr. Van
390
Evansville and its Men of Mark.
Riper was selected as chairman of the Financial Committee, and hence, received the leadership of the Council. The finances of the city were in a terible state, large obligations falling due, and no money to pay them. City orders were worth eighty-five cents. He had had an extensive experience with money matters in his time, and was determined to restore some order out of this chaos. He did so. He paid all outstanding debts ; restored the credit of the city ; made orders worth par ; and at the close of the term, the finances were in a much better shape than they had been for many years. This Council did a great deal of work, and it is thought, a great deal of good. They first took the Carmi Railroad (now the St. Louis & Southeastern) in hand. It had been handled for two or three years, without any result. There was an election of Directors, and Mr. Van Riper was selected as one, receiving the compliment of an unanimous vote,
(the only one who did.) The citizens told him that they expected him to get that road under contract. He promised that he would, and he did. He was offered the Presidency, but declined the same, preferring to see an older head there. He accepted the post of Secretary. We will leave it to any one who has had anything to do with that enterprise, to say : " Who is entitled to the credit of completing the road ?" (Go to Gen. Winslow, and he will tell you ) Mr. Van Riper continued as Director there, until the machinations of some of the leading citizens caused him to be dropped, just before he left Evansville. In this Council, he devoted all his energies to have the Lake Erie and Straight Line Railroads worked through. He did all that lay in his power to give them a fair start. The former is in process of construction ; the latter is as yet, showing no signs of life.
He next turned his attention to the supply of water, and determined that the city should have Water Works. He went through all the details of an examination, everywhere ; advised a vote by the people, which resulted in favor of building the works; made a contract, and the city issued $300,000 in bonds, bearing seven and three-tenths per cent. interest to pay for it; succeeded in selling the whole parcel of bonds, through Isaac Keen, Esq., at eighty-seven cents nett, when the previous Coun- cil had been selling the same character of bonds at seventy-five
391
Evansville and its Men of Mark.
cents. In sixty days the works were under full headway, with a cheap contract. He left before they were finished ; the con- actors having met with unexpected obstacles, and a new Coun- cil coming in, with an opposition majority, they determined to take unto themselves the credit of this work, and we think injured the work almost fatally.
The Mayor, Mr. Walker, died a few months after this Council came into office, and Mr. Van Riper was elected by the Council as acting-mayor, with all the powers, etc., of the posi- tion. He occupied this position three months, devoting his entire time to its various duties. In this time he prepared the tax duplicate, which he refers to as being as well done as any mayor ever did. He reduced the rate of taxation five cents per hundred dollars. At the end of three months, a new election was ordered for mayor. He was offered the nomination by his party, but declined, not wishing to abandon business for a political position. This Council improved streets, uniformed the police, made important annexations to the city, from the surrounding territory, and in fact, there was one vast system of public improvement inaugurated, which it was impossible for any succeeding Council to resist. Hence we are free to say without contradiction, that the impetus Evansville received from this Council, was the dawning of a new and prosperous era for the city.
However, if there ever was an abused man, it was Mr. Van Riper. He was maligned and traduced. Every act was questioned and generally abused as a great curse by all the opposition. Mr. Van Riper would remark ; " I assure you that I got heartily sick of it, and can only say to any man who never gave his services to the public, that if he values his good name and his peace, never accept a public office." Time rolled around, and a new election came for a new Council. He deter- mined to see whether the people were craven enough to believe all that the opposition had said of him. He accepted a re-nom- ination for the Third Ward, (the wards being changed.) Then began the fiercest contest that Evansville ever saw. The oppo- sition were determined to defeat Mr. Van Riper, and spent money without stint ; voting (we are told) one hundred and fifty negroes, when there was not exceeding thirty in the ward.
392
Evansville and its Men of Mark.
He was elected, however, by seventeen majority, with only one other of his political friends in the new Council. His career of usefulness was gone. The opposition would not adopt any of his measures, but he was a check on all their schemes, and hence there was nothing but turbulence. They tried to tire him out by insult, abuse, etc., but he checked them in every scheme they brought up. At last he received a summons from his house, that his presence was required in Europe. He went to New York, learned the nature of it, returned to Evansville, and resigned his seat in the Council.
On the 1st of November, 1871, he sailed from New York for Liverpool. Since that time, he has been traveling all over the Continent of Europe, extending Fatman & Co.'s business of cotton, so that he feels more at home, if possible, in Europe, than America. He writes home, that he has never seen any country that suited him so well as his own. But we are digres- sing. In 1870, the late John D. Roche and himself conceived the idea that it would be a good thing for Evansville and the poorer class of citizens to have a Savings Bank. So taking advantage of the existing State law, they proceeded to organize the same. They looked around, selected a Board of Trustees of honest men, and there came into existence the " People's Savings Bank," with Mr. Van Riper as Vice-President and Chairman of the Finance Committee. It has had wonderful success from the day of its organization. His leaving the coun- try, compelled him to resign. This was one of the regrets of his life, as he regarded that as a pet project.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.