USA > Indiana > Monroe County > Bloomington > Historic treasures: true tales of deeds with interesting data in the life of Bloomington, Indiana University and Monroe County--written in simple language and about real people, with other important things and illustrations > Part 33
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"It is called 'Wenn's Solar Stove,' and is heated by 'elementary heat,' produced, according to the words of the inventor, by 'separate and com- bined elements.' It may be used with greatest safety in ships, and manu- factories or ware houses, where in (blured) of the combustible, most of the stock fires are prohibited.
"The process of heating is so clean, and simple that a lady having white gloves on may perform it without soiling them, or a child three years of age without injury.
"Yesterday, its powers were exhib- ited at the West Indian Docks, be- fore Captain Parrish, the dock master; T. Sheldarke, Esq., engineer; - Beck, Esq., and a number of other gentlemen connected with the Dock Company, who expressed the greatest surprise at Wenn's invaluable discov- ery, and they considered it would be of incalcuable service to the Navy, etc. "Heat was produced by invisible
means in less than two minutes, and in less than three minutes afterwards, water which had been put cold into the crescent, boiled with such force, that the window of the room in which it was tried was compelled to be opened to let the steam escape.
"There is a drawer of tin in the machine in which a steak or chop can be cooked in its own gravy, but there not being one at hand the ex- periment was not tried.
"Three hours after it had been heated from which nothing had been done to it, was found to be still so hot that it could scarcely be touched by the naked hand, although it had been carried from the Dock to the city.
"We understand it is the intention of the ingenious inventor, who has expended all he was possessed of in bringing it to perfection, to exhibit it to the public at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, in Leicester square .- London Paper.
(We wonder what ever became of this mysterious invention.)
SALVATION ARMY WORK IN BLOOMINGTON
It is about seventeen years since the Salvation Army commenced work in Bloomington. There was some ex- citement among the onlookers when the army officers appeared on the street for open air service. The uni- form, cap and tunic and poke bon- net worn by the officers, and their weapons of warfare consisting of tamborine, cornet, guitar and big drum seemed to some people to be out of place in religious meetings. A store room on West Sixth street
became the place of worship for in- door services. The novelty of this seemingly odd procedure aroused the curiosity of the people, who flocked in large crowds to the store room to see the new show, but soon began to realize they were in a place that was termed: "A Red Hot Gospel Meet- ing." During the revival services many notorious characters were con- verted and showed by their actions that a change in life had been wrought. There was some misunder- standing and persecution in the early
days, but the bulk of the inhabitance many years ago were led to see that there had been good results accom- plished through the methods adopted by the Salvation Army.
It is well understood that the army's local work is for the preaching of the gospel truths and uplifting of fal- len humanity from sinful careers to lives of honesty, sobriety and right- eousness.
The local crops has various branches of activity, such as preparing and distributing Christmas cheer baskets, winters relief work, summer outings for mothers and children, Sunday school work, week night meetings for young people and regular gospel serv- ices the whole year round.
Ensign and Mrs. Brookes are the officers in charge of Bloomington work.
Salvation Army Baskets Ready for Christmas Delivery
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Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
TOWN OF HARRODSBURG HAS VARIED CAREER FIRST NAMED "NEWGENE"-SURVIVED IN 1836-POOR START, GREW TO INDUSTRIAL CENTER
Ups and Downs of Early Existence of Thriving Village Shown in History of Enterprise Exhibited by Early Inhabitants-Interesting Facts Pieced To- gether-$18,500 Woolen Factory Erected in 1864.
Harrodsburg, situated in Clear Creek Township, Monroe County, In- diana, was laid out by Alexander Buchanan, proprietor, and John Sed- wick, surveyor, in December, 1836, on the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of Section 29, Township 7 north, range 1 west.
The original plat of the now flourishing little town of Harrods- burg was made up of twenty-four lots and the village was named New- gene.
Newgene Renamed Harrodsburg.
Levi Sugart laid out an addition of three lots to the village of New- gene, in May, 1837, and for some reason (we cannot find out at this time just why the name was changed), the name of the village was changed to Harrodsburg.
Berkey & Isominger are said to have started the first store in the place, and took out a license in 1836. Jacob Corman took out a liquor li- cense in 1839, paying $25 for the same. Tilford & Glass also estab- lished a store in the early life of the village. A. and P. Carmichael, who were in business in Sanford in the early days, are said also to have established a business in Harrods- burg.
The early families of the village (then Newgene) were, Henry Ber- key, who is said to have purchased a lot conditionally before the place was laid out; Joseph Cranshaw, Job Hor- ton, Samuel Baugh, Richard Emp- son, Alexander Buchanan, and a widow lady named Cully, and others later.
For about a year, in 1844, there had been no store in Harrodsburg, then S. W. and J. D. Urmey opened a stock of general merchandise worth probably $450, and in the following year Paris Vestal also opened a store.
The first resident physician in the village was James Beatley, who was also reputed to have been a peda- gogue of considerable reputation in the community.
Baugh & Empson were tanners, as was Rufus Finley, who erected a van- nery about fortv rods down the little creek at the village.
Creek Took Name From Indian.
It was told by early settlers that the little creek took its name from Ro-si-neah, an old chief of the Dela- ware Indians, who, when the first settlement was made, was encamped in a large hollow sycamore tree on the bank of the stream. In pro- nouncing the name, accent the last syllable.
Vestal continued with his business
for about two years, then sold out to Moore & Baugh. Greason was Vestal's partner for a time, as was Mr. McCrea.
Vestal and Sutherland were part- ners for a while in 1848, then con- tinued in business as separate con- cerns. About 1849 James W. Carter was in business in the place, and about 1850, Sutherland & Graham formed a partnership of short dura- tion. The Urmeys continued in busi- ness, and Odell & Walker were in business about this time. In 1853 Sutherland & Baugh dissolved their partnership in July, which had only lasted a short time.
Packing Concern Organized.
Alexander Sutherland and Dugan Jones formed a partnership in April, 1852, and established their business of the general merchandising, pack- ing pork, buying and shipping grain and provisions and buying and sell- ing real estate. Sutherland is said to have furnished $4,000 and Jones $2,000 of the capital in the concern, and two-thirds of the profits and
losses were assumed by the senior partner. Henry Baugh was alone in business at that time, as was W. N. Anderson.
Among the business men after these early pioneers were, Carter & Dunn, Mr. Waldrip, Julius Sues, Har- mon & Buchanan, East & Deckard, Judy & Kinser, Oliphant & Pearson, Oliphant & Girton, Carmichael & Urmy, Oliphant & Woodward, Wool- ery & Wolf, Wolf & Son, Perdue & Wolf, Urmey & McFaddin, Purdue & Woolery, Sephenson & Carmichael, H. C. Smallwood, Deckard & Cham- bers, Kisner & Smallwood, W. Kin- ser, Granger's store, Strain & Wood- ward, and perhaps a few others.
Shipping Helped Growth.
Beginning about 1853, the firm of Sutherland & Jones did a large busi- ness in packing pork and shipping the same, along with grain, in flat- boats down the creeks to markets of the south. They sent out from eight to twelve boat loads during a season, and employed from forty to fifty men.
This firm did an aggregate busi- ness of little less than $100,000. This gave an appearance of great thrift to the little town of Herrodsburg, and influenced many people to locate in the place, who may have other- wise passed on to larger cities.
Business Flourished.
During the forties Urmey & Iso- minger shipped grain by boat from the village, as did the Urmey broth- ers. Sutherland & Jones lost con- siderable money on pork and were gradually forced to suspend opera-
MAXWELL HADL 1890
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Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
tions, but with the firms obligations all paid off.
In 1861 Carmichael & Urmey be- gan a big business in pork packing, and the first year they packed 1,800 hogs. The business increased until about forty men were employed by the concern, and as high as 3,500 hogs were slaughtered in a season. Considerable grain was also shipped by this concern, which continued in business until about 1877, when they failed, through losses and compro- mised honorably with their creditors.
The railroad had been completed in 1853, and this was quite an added boost for the town, as it afforded a much better means of reaching the markets than did the old water courses.
Later Industries.
Among the leading industries that later flourished in the thriving little town was a distillery operated by Brown & Dekard, about 1865, the ca- pacty of the distillery being about twenty gallons a day. Chambers & Strain were afterward owners.
J. M. Anderson conducted a cabi- net factory of no mean dimensions, beginning early in the fifties. Stipp & Strain built a big grist mill in 1866, costing about $8,000, which later passed to the ownership of Woolery, Stevenson & Co., and then to John Stephenson, who operated the mill for many years.
Oliphant, Woodward & Carmichael built a large woolen factory about 1864, at the close of the war of the Rebellion, which cost about $18,500 including the machinery and equip- ment.
The factory began operations after necessary help was employed and turned out considerable quantities of wool, yarn, flannels, jeans and cas- simeres.
It seems that the enterprise was started at an inopportune time, for various changes were made in owner- ship of the concern, and at last the business was abandoned about 1879 or 1880, when the population of the village was about 260.
W. W. WICKS ENLISTED WHEN SENT ON AN ERRAND-NEVER RETURNED TO JOB- CAME TO BLOOMINGTON AFTER WAR
"I was working for my uncle, in a grocery in New Albany, Ind., when the war broke out in 1860," said W. W. Wicks, founder of the modern department store bearing his name, "and one day, he sent me up towil to order a barrel of sugar and some flour from the wholesale house. When I got up town, I saw a crowd of men, and I crowded in to see what they were about.
"It was a Recruiter!
"I saw my chum, and bannered him to enlist-that night we were march- ing over to Jeffersonville as soldiers in the three-month's service (Lincoln's first call for volunteers).
"Never did hear whether my uncle got his sugar or not," continued the veteran business man as well as sol- dier, "because I came to Blooming- ton after my three-months enlist- ment ended, and there re-enlisted in the three-years service."
Since the close of the great civil war, in 1865. Mr. W. W. Wicks has been prominent in the development of numerous business enterprizes of Bloomington and Monroe county. When asked concerning some of the ventures Mr. Wicks stated that when "we started the 'Bee Hive' (this store developed into the present-day Wicks store of Bloomington), we did not have much of a stock, and little capi- tal-but we advertised what we had, and we did a good job of advertising, therefore it had to go.
"I helped organize three stone companies, and onened good quarries -but I organized one stone com- panv which I didn't organize.
"There was a piece of land I ran across which showed outcroppings of as fine looking stone as you could want. I contracted for an option on this land. then sold stock in mv com- pany to New York people who trusted my word without even looking at my
proposition. Then, I decided I wanted somebody in the company I could talk to, so I decided to let Henry Showers have some of my stock.
"Well, I made arrangements to take Henry out to look the proposi- tion over, and we drove to this land, and were walking across the fields, and were just climbing over a fence. I had one foot in the air when some- thing hit me!
"It hit me just like a blow from one's fist!
"Something said: 'Tain't no good!' in just those words.
"I called to Henry Showers, and al- most paralyzed him, with: 'Henry, it ain't no good-no use you going any further.'
"He was a little aggrivated, and insisted that we look the place over as we had wasted all the energy of driving to the place. After viewing the rock which showed, he insisted that it was a dandy prospect for a stone quarry, and I had to acknow- ledge that it looked awful good to me-but I was convinced that it was
no good, and would have felt guilty to have allowed them to go ahead. Then we decided to put in a couple cores and blast deeper than the sur- face which had shown.
"Sure enough-It was no good!
"I paid the stock purchasers their money back, then stood a damage suit from the man who owned the land, and finally compromised by paying him a good sum of money out of my own pocket. That's one Wicks Com- pany I organized that I didn't organ- ize."
Mr. Wicks, although retired from actual business activities, still re- tains not a little prestige among busi- ness men of the present period as a rather keen advisor whose advice is sought for in weighty financial mat- ters.
THE NEW DOLLAR.
What will be known as the "peace" dollar came into circulation Jan. 1, 1922. The Philadelphia mint coined 856,473 of them in December so there would be enough of the 1921 date to prevent their being held for a pre- mium by coin collectors. On one side is the head of Liberty and on the other is an eagle at rest, (which may be mistaken for a dove of peace, as the "spread eagle" is shown on most coins), on a mountain top clutching a broken sword struck by the sun's rays. Under the eagle is the word, "peace." (Mentioned elsewhere in this book.)
About 100,000,000 of the new dol- lars will be coined unless special legislation provides for a larger total. This is the first new dollar design since 1878. The law provides that the design shall not be changed more fre- quently than every twenty-five years. The coinage of silver dollars stopped in 1904, but was resumed last Feb- ruary when the purchase of silver was begun under the Pittman act to replace silver dollars melted and sold during the war. In recent years the paper dollar has been more common than the silver dollar. Silver cer- tificates, United States notes, treasury notes of 1890 and Federal Reserve Bank notes are issued in dollar de- nominations. In the east there has been a prejudice against the silver dollar for many years. In the far west there existed as much prejudice against paper dollars. Several mil- lions of the old silver dollars are in circulation and with 100,000,000 of the new dollars coming, the silver dollar should become common again.
ABOVE ALL THINGS-BY "THE STROLLER"
Above all things-we have the fish on the court house.
"Ann" had nothing on his Pisca- torial Majesty which floats at the highest pinnacle in the city.
We ask-"How old is the fish on the court house?" It is highly prob- able that no person living, even at this writing, can correctly answer that question. The big metal fish has been a weather vane above the court house beyond the memory of the old- est living inhabitant of Monroe coun- ty. We harken back to the days of forty years ago. At that time there was a belfry on top of the county
building, with a small bell hanging in it. Above it was the fish. Some- one died several years before and left a legacy of $200 for a town clock. Additions to this sum were made at various times from the proceeds of amateur entertainments, principally given by the Mendelssohn Society. The fund became sufficient to build a fine new cupalo for housing the town clock on the old court house. The fish came down for a few weeks when it was again perched aloof-proudly, perhaps-on the new cupalo.
Just one other time did his Pisca- torial Majesty descend to earth. That
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Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
was when Monroe county decided to erect a new $200,000 court house, proudly termed a "temple of justice." The fish was then examined at close
Henry J. Feltus
quarters. Length, three feet, nine inches; made of metal that has stood the weather of years.
The day came when gold bricks and blue sky oil stock were the vogue.
"An appropriate emblem of the town," people said of the fish-"sucker." But back went the fish to the highest point to the new temple of justice, again to wave in the breeze of the four seasons of the year.
Who has not returned to his home town of Bloomington and to himself said, "That old fish on the court house looks good to me!" Like the Star Spangled Banner, we say of the fish-Long may it wave!
Henry J. Feltus is the dean of newspaper men of Bloomington, and a pioneer of Mon- roe county journalism. He established the Weekly Courier in Bloomington in 1875, and later the Daily Courier. At the time of publi- cation of this book Mr. Feltus, at the age of 75, is actively engaged as a feature and editorial writer for The Bloomington Weekly Star, successful country newspaper, modern- ized, yet retaining the zest of the old school of newspaper writing. Mr. Feltus' "Lick- skillet Items," "Star Twinkles," and editorial paragraphs are known to nearly every news- paper man in the state. Probably his most popular feature, "The Stroller," was origi- nated only recently. It is with the sharp wit of The Stroller that he eulogizes the old tin fish on the Monroe county courthouse in this book.
The accumulations of Christmas funds in the United States last year amounted to $150,000,000.
The average wage earner in the United States consumes 1,775 pounds of food a year.
Fogs indicate unsettled weather. A morning fog usually lifts before noon.
WATER SUPPLY HAS BEEN ISSUE IN LOCAL ELEC- TIONS SINCE DAYS OF TOWN PUMP
City Established First Waterworks System in Early '90s-Water Shortages Annoy Citizens in 1899, 1901, 1908, and 1913-Near Shortage Averted in Summer of 1921-Griffey Creek Project Defeated at Polls Last November.
Few municipal elections or cam- paigns in Bloomington in recent years have been waged without the city water supply entering into the con- tentions of the rival parties as an im- portant factor. Ever since Blooming- ton first established a water works system in the early '90s, located 21/2 miles west of the city on the Stanford road, the question of obtaining an adequate water supply for patrons of the system has been a burning one in local politics. It has been the policy of succeeding administrations to en- large and extend the system origin- ally established west of the city, and to provide for the growing needs of a growing city in that way
The first waterworks systems es- tablished in Bloomington, when wells and cisterns no longer fulfilled the demands of a growing population, consisted of one small lake, still in existence as a part of the present plant, but rarely used. A small pump- ing outfit was purchased to lift the water from the level of the lake to a reservoir situated on the summit of a near-by hill. The water. flowed into the city by the force of gravity, but the presure was soon found to be wholly inadequate to provide homes with satisfactory water conveniences. First Shortage in 1899.
The presure was not the only de- ficiency of the original plant. In 1899
came the first water shortage, when a long summer drought reduced the supply to the extent that water was available only on certain days, and then only in a limited amount to each consumer. Succeeding shortages oc- curred in 1901, 1908, and 1913, each serious in its magnitude and impress- ing the thoughtful people of the town that some move had to be made to- ward obtaining a better source of supply. For several years it was a puzzle to determine the exact cause of the water shortage. Apparently the rainfall was sufficient, the drain- age area large enough, but when the water was pumped from the lakes the supply proved inadequate.
By 1903 the original plant had been enlarged by the acquisition of ad- ditional small springs as sources of supply for the lakes, and additional dams built to collect the water. . In 1904 the first real movement was launched to abandon the entire region west of town in favor of Griffey creek valley as a possible source of the water supply for the city. In the spring of that year, Dr. E. R. Cum- ings, of the geology department of Indiana University, speaking before an organization composed of both townspeople and faculty interested in community progress, brought out the hitherto unknown fact that the lime- stone formation of the land west of
Bloomington rendered it impractic- able as a site for an adequate water- works system. Daily, he claimed, large quantities of water leaked out from the dams through the porous lime- stone. Since then there has been a constant agitation on the part of a considerable element of Blooming- ton people to move the waterworks plant to Griffey creek, which has been just as furiously opposed by another element.
Ship Water Into City.
But the successive water shortages following the enlargement of the plant discouraged its most ardent boosters. In 1908 came a serious shortage, followed by the University installing a plant of its own in the Griffey creek valley. In that year the situation became so desperate from the University's standpoint that water was shipped into the city in tank cars on the Illinois Central rail- road and run to the University build- ings by means of a specially laid pipe line. The experience of that year convinced University offciials that the present region was unfit as a source of water supply because of its geological features.
The net shortage came in 1913, when the supply in the lakes west of town became the lowest in years. Citizens of Bloomington and the leg- islature demanded some immediate action on the part of the city officials to relieve the situation. The result was another enlargement of the orig- inal plant by adding the Leonard spring to the feeding force of the lakes. Since that time Leonard's spring has served as the bulwark of the city's water supply.
Advert Shortage in 1921.
Apparently the problem was settied with the addition of the Leonard's spring project, but it only took a few years to prove that even that was in- adequate. The proof was clinched last summer when a near shortage was narrowly averted. Then it was that the administration in power de- termined on a project in the Griffey creek valley. A large engineering concern was consulted and plans and specifications drawn for a plant, op- tions were obtained on land to guar- antee a large drainage area, and es- timates of the cost of such a plant were submitted. The majority of the citizens of Bloomington hesitated on an expenditure of nearly $800,000 for a new waterworks system, and they voiced their disapproval of the project last November by electing John G. Harris mayor, who is op- posed to any change in the plant from its present location .- Dale Cox, in The Indiana Daily Student.
Among the first acts of the new administration Bloomington's city council, in January, 1922, co-operated with Mayor Harris, in passing an or- dinance to improve and enlarge the city's present water system.
The most appalling accident in his- tory was the falling of an amphi- theater in Rome in the time of Ti- berius. Fifty thousand people were crushed.
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Historic Treasures, Compiled by Forest M. "Pop" Hall
OLDEST WOMAN IN COUNTY IS NINETY-EIGHT YEARS OF AGE-ACTIVE LIFE OF ELLEANOR BUSKIRK
Ninety-eight years of age, widow of the first. male child born in Mon- roe county, is the enviable record of Mrs. Elleanor Caroline (Reddick) Buskirk, of Bloomington, who, it is believed, is the oldest person now living in Monroe county.
Sunday, January 22, 1922, a num- ber of relatives and close friends of Mrs. Buskirk, gathered at her coun- try home, situated just north of Bloomington, to pay respect and hon- or to the wonderful mother, who has survived in a Christian life all the trials and tribulations of an active career.
Elleanor Caroline Buskirk was the daughter of Thomas and Nancy Red- dick, and was born January 22, 1824, in Stokes county, North Carolina. When she was a small child, her par- ents, with her three brothers and three sisters, brought her to Indiana. They traveled overland from their southern home through the wild and Indian infested wilderness in a cov- ered wagon to the then comparative- ly new town of Bloomington, Indiana, where the father decided to make his home and rear his family.
On September 21, 1841, the demure maid of seventeen became the proud wife of William H. Buskirk (who was taught to believe that he was the first male white child to have been born in Monroe county on Dec- ember 8, 1819, his birth place hav- ing been on a farm just east of
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