USA > Indiana > Boone County > History of Boone County, Indiana : With biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families, Volume I > Part 44
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An election of officers was held, resulting in the choice of Mrs. J. P. Moore as president; Mrs. Lucy Bower, vice-president; Mrs. Nancy J. Roseboom, treasurer; Mrs. Phebe Curryer, secretary, and the regular time of meeting was fixed for the second Friday of each month. After a few meetings, over a score of names were enrolled, which statedly grew in numbers and in- fluence, and is today in existence accomplishing effective work. This society casts a most lasting influence over the young, the most popular lines of work being pledge signing and Demorest medal contests, these being held statedly and prizes are given ; first, a silver medal; second, a gold medal; third, a large or grand gold medal; and fourth, a diamond medal, which entitles the win- ner of it to a scholarship in "The Chicago School of Expression." At the last contest held recently in Montgomery county, the prize of a grand gold medal was awarded to John Hewitt, of Thorntown, Indiana. Scientific temperance instruction is one of the important lines of work and receives its full share of attention. It pays to train the youth along moral lines. Usually from five to six out of the forty departments of the State Woman's Christian Temperance Union is all that is taken up by any one local union, but all are unanimous on mothers' meetings. They are considered the "sine qua non"- no doing without. The following are the present officers of the Thorntown Woman's Christian Temperance Union: President, Mrs. Myrtle Lyster ; vice-president, Mrs. Estelle Stubbs; treasurer, Mrs. Len Pauley ; secretary, Mrs. Mattie Peery.
The following is a report of Mary D. Hendricks, of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Boone county :
"I joined the Woman's Christian Temperance Union at Lebanon in 1898. This was a new organization (the old organization had disbanded). I was made vice-president at that time. Served in that office for one year. The next year was made president of the local Lebanon union, serving four years. In 1902 was elected county president, serving continuously to the present time. The union has had a steady, healthy growth from the begin- ning. The first work we did was to petition for and get the curfew ordin- ance. It has been kept in operation ever since. Then we organized the young people and the children. Thir organizations were very prosperous for a long time and did much good work. Finally they had to give up for want of a steady leader, but the work begun with the children and young people is still going on; the oratorical contests have been a special work,
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and a great many contests have been held annually. Contestants from neigh- boring counties and in some instances from other states have come to Boone county to contest for medals. All grades of contests have been held, from the lowest to the highest. Contestants ranging in age from eight years to way past middle life have been represented in the contest work, creating tem- perance sentiment in a very telling way and educating the public to total abstinence and prohibition. The work of the Woman's Christian Temper- ance Union broadens each year and new departments are taken up as condi- tions call for them. The departments of Equal Suffrage, Publicity Bureau and Co-operation with Missionary Societies have been added to the long list of other departments.
The local Woman's Christian Temperance Union got the blame for put- ting the last saloon off the public square in Lebanon a few years ago, thus crowding them all into one ward (at least the saloon keeper said if it hadn't been for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union he would have got through all right) ; and later on helped in putting them out of Lebanon.
Boone County Woman's Christian Temperance Union is working four- ยท teen of the departments of the organization; the local unions are working about the same.
The county meetings, institutes and conventions have all been held regu- larly and in harmony with the state plan of work. Local meetings are held semi-monthly. Petitions for special work, legislation, etc., have always re- ceived prompt attention in our county. We also have had some of the best talent, not only of the state but of the nation, on several occasions to come before the people of Boone county to promote the cause of temperance."
THE W. C. T. U. BY EVA EMERY DYE.
Like the old Crusader on Saracen hills,
The heart of our Union exultingly thrills ;
Hope, health, and the promise of conquest are ours,
We plead not for ease nor for couches of flowers,
For the war we've enlisted, we're armed for the strife,
And the battle that ends but with ending of life.
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The shots may be falling in tempests of flame, Some heroes may leave but a grave and a name, But our ranks close up and our lines march ahead, With a smile for the living, a sigh for the dead. There are foemen to fall at the stroke of our steel, There are wrongs to be righted and sorrows to heal, There are millions that cry for delivering hands To shatter oppression and break off their bands. There are nations to conquer and kingdoms to win, A cry of entreaty rolls under the din Of markets and cities and railways and ships, Humanity calling with livid white lips For the white-ribbon army to march in its might, To scatter the darkness and bring in the light. O comrades, my comrades, the world is awake, The seas in commotion heave higher and break On the time-worn shore of convention and form, As tidal waves tell of the on-coming storm. Men, men is the cry, and women of worth,
To march in the vanguard of truth on the earth, Whose pennons shall gleam ever bright in the sun, Till the conflict is ended, the battle is won.
Though we seem but a handful we hear the firm tread .
Of the army of Progress, aye marching ahead, And our feet fly to join them, we fling away fears, Not drafted we go, but as bold volunteers. Around and about us the drum-beat is heard, To new resolution the nation is stirred,
The tents have been struck and the banners unfurled,
Our ranks are out marching wide over the world.
"All round the Ribbon White is twined."
ANANIAS STORY.
The Ananias Club is in a furor. There is an application from Missouri for membership. The question is on qualifications. There was a committee
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appointed to examine the applicant. One of the jolliest members was se- lected to take the Missourian down to Sugar Creek and put him through the regular prescribed practical tests and interrogations. Of course it is not ex- pected that a new member will make a full hand the first day. He should have ample time to get his lines out and his hands in. If he is from Missouri where people do not know Ananias, he will have to be given still more time to get his tongue in proper tune and all the organs in gear so as to spin off a good thread of a story, one that will not ravel or fray at the ends. With these instructions and modifications in mind the committee man proceeds and makes report as follows: Everybody remembers that Fourth, it was ideal for fishing and testing. It was warm and rainy like. Occasionally the sun would beam out as if it was April, we were sure the fish would forget it was July and think it was April. A good place was selected by deep waters under the spreading boughs of a sycamore tree that sheltered us alike from the rain and the sun beams. They made ready for business, adjusting lines, hooks and poles and baiting properly. All the while these preliminaries were being arranged Billy in a modulated voice was telling what a good place this was to fish, what marvelous success he had had. The great string of fish he had caught and so on but at the same time admonishing Tom to keep still and not talk any or the fish would not bite. Now it so happened that our new mem- ber was not made of taciturn stuff, and his loquacity welled up and he begged permission-a story or so about his experience in fishing-while the fish were getting ready for their part of the game. I will give you some of the latest, and began in a low mellow voice, by saying, out in Missouri the streams are full of fish. The water is always muddy so you can't see them to gigger, snare or shoot, so there is no way to get them except by the skill of the hook. You are not allowed to seine. I went occasionally when I could get away from the office-we were so busy all the time that it was seldom 1 could get out-and always caught a good string of them just about as fast as I could throw in the hook, pull out the fish, take him off and rebait. It would only take a few moments to catch as many as I could carry home with my board bill for a week until surfeited. I want to tell you about one time especially. The day was fine, I think about the first of May. It had rained the night before but the sun shone out bright and warm. I went to the place where I had often met with good luck. The stream was muddy as usual. In that particular place it was very muddy. The old fishermen say that is a
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good sign. You see the fish are hungry and are rooting around for food just like so many pigs and that makes the water riley. Well I got ready in a hurry and cast out my line hoping for a good catch. I waited a long time for a bite, became impatient, drew up my line, rebaited, flung it out, waited, got restless, fidgeted around, thought some bad words, and-and-finally felt something at my hook. I still waited and watched. It pulled, I pulled, it would not budge. I held on, pulling steadily and felt it move and was sure I was hooked on to a log or something. It rose toward the surface slowly. I noticed the water began to broil around and became very muddy and finally the head of a huge turtle appeared above the water and then his whole back. My! What a whopper !! He scared me. He would open his big mouth, snap at the line and try to twist it off. By and by he tucked his head under the water used his four big oars and in spite of all I could pull dived down to the bottom and anchored himself in the mud as firm as Gib- ralter. I would pull, could feel him stretch out his long neck as far as it would go and then fall back quickly. I did not know what to do. There was my new dollar line that I bought that morning and promised to pay for so I did not want to lose it so I kept on pulling until I got red in the face. At this juncture there came up a brawny looking fellow with sleeves above elbows, a broad brim merry widow, and still broader grin on his face. Say! mister, wot you got? One of them ar tortles? Lots of 'em in that ar hole. I seed one in thar tother day when the water was clar five foot over. I specks yo've got 'em. Want eny help to git 'im out? I've got a rope we can yank 'im out with. We'll make a noose, put it over your line, run it down on it to the old fellow's head, slip it over his neck when he stretches it up and we will have him. While talking he was working and it was not long until we had him and went out pulling, both of us, our level best. We could not budge him. You just wait and I'll get him, and ran over in the field where he was plowing with a yoke of oxen, unhooked, brought and hitched them to the rope. He stood off a bit, cracked his whip, Tom! Dick !! now to it, down !!! Well they did. Bowed their heads, bent their knees and something began slowly to come. That old turtle reluctantly walked out on shore behind the oxen like a prisoner of war. What did you do with him? Why, you see, that old farmer charged me a quarter for hauling him out and I did not have the money, as is always my luck, and he took the turtle. He was worth five dollars.
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
Just as early as settlements became established and there were enough to form a society for a church, it was organized in each neighborhood throughout the county. then followed the establishment of Sunday schools and the children were gathered in and taught to spell and read. There would be songs, prayers, scripture-readings and study of the scriptures, all the work trending towards the uplift of the moral and religious standard of the community. This work was of very slow growth at first, especially in the rural districts. For a long time there were not enough people to sup- port a Sunday school except in the more thickly settled portions of the county. Thorntown, Jamestown and Eagle Village were among the first to - establish and maintain a Sunday school. The first struggle was to start the Sunday school. Then came the long, patient work to maintain it all through the year. In every neighborhood it was first continued through the summer, when the weather was good and the days were long. In each Sunday school the question would come up every fall, whether they should close the Sun- day school until spring or continue through the winter season. Brave hearts would grapple the question and the effort would be made. Often the Sun- day school would continue half-winter over and be reluctantly closed until spring. The next fall the effort would be made again and thus continued until success crowned their efforts. It was in this way through perseverance that Sunday schools were established in almost every neighborhood in the county. Like every other good work of the county, it took hard work and lots of patience and perseverance by the men and women in various sections of the county to accomplish and maintain the Sunday schools in many sec- tions of the county. The armies of self-sacrificing Christians that carried on this pioneer work were true and faithful and have passed to their reward in glory. It was not done in a day or year but by persistent and continuous labor for years. At first, in many cases, the Sunday schools were unde- nominational and taught the elements of Christian living and thereby sowed the seed for a church and it came forth as a tower of strength in the wilder- ness to lead the people into Canaan land.
In this way and this slow process Sunday schools were established all over the county and organizations were formed to advance the general wel- fare of the good work. As early as 1876, county conventions were held,
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looking forward to the organization of the Sunday school workers through- out the county. Just when this organization was effected we are unable to gather the data. We learn that in 1876 there was a two days' county con- vention held at Mechanicsburg and presided over by Rev. E. R. Johnson, a Methodist minister. We regret that we have not at hand a full record of this meeting, for it must have been the beginning of a new epoch in Sun- day school work in this county. Out of this meeting came a spirit that brought together the Sunday school workers of the county, which grew into a permanent organization that has continued to this day. We can find dates back to the early eighties. Partial records show the following progress of the work to the present date. The following persons have served as presi- dents of the association: L. M. Crist, from 1883 to 1886; James C. Hague, 1886 to 1892; W. F. Taylor, 1892 to 1900; W. T. Hooton, 1900 to 1902; B. F. Ratliff, 1902 to 1903: E. C. Gullion, 1903 to 1905; S. T. Johnson, 1905 to 1909; F. B. Brock, 1909 to 1912; J. F. Hussey, 1912 to 1914; R. S. Crose, 1914 to -.
The following are the officers of the various departments elected at the convention at Zionsville in 1914, to serve one year from date of election. These various departments have been created from year to year, showing how the work of the organization has grown since its inception. List of officers for 1914-15 :
President, Robert S. Crose, Thorntown, Indiana.
Vice-President, E. E. Smith, Whitestown, Indiana.
Secretary and Treasurer, Mrs. Luna T. King, Jamestown, Indiana. Home Department, Mrs. Nettie Kirkham, Lebanon, Indiana. F. B. Brock, Adult Department, Zionsville, Indiana.
Omer Beck, Secondary Department, Lebanon, Indiana. Mrs. J. D. Emmert, Elementary Department, New Ross, Indiana. Alonzo Nay, Training Department, Lebanon, Indiana. H. P. Sicks, Temperance Department, Lebanon, Indiana. Minnie Beaman, Missionary Temperance, Whitestown, Indiana. J. T. Frank Laughner, Press Department, Whitestown, Indiana.
The following report of the Elementary Department of the Boone county Sunday school work, for the year 1913, was given by Mrs. J. D. Emmert, superintendent of the elementary work of Boone county, at the Indiana State Convention, held at Evansville, June 17, 18 and 19, 1913:
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Number of schools reporting, sixty-one; number of cradle rolls, forty- three; number of babies enrolled, nine hundred and forty-seven. One school is a union school. Its babies' names are enrolled on other rolls. The two African Methodist Episcopal schools, one at Thorntown and one at Lebanon, have no babies. The youngest member at Thorntown is eleven years of age; at Lebanon, four, consequently these schools have no roll. Smallest enroll- ment, one baby ; largest enrollment, ninety-five babies. Number of teachers taking teacher's training course, ten; number of teachers teaching children under thirteen, one hundred and eighty-three; number of schools having a separate class or department for beginners, twenty-one; primaries, twenty- one; juniors, sixteen; number of schools having regular promotions from beginners, twenty-nine; primaries, twenty-eight; juniors, twenty-four.
Report shows thirteen different denominations in county: Thirteen Methodist Episcopal, eleven Disciples, nine First Christian, six Missionary Baptist, five United Brethren, four Methodist Protestant, three Presbyterian, three regular Baptist, two African Methodist Episcopal, one Friends, one Lutheran, one United Presbyterian, one Holiness. First report was received from Esther Hopkins, Mt. Zion, Center township. First township sending in complete report, Jackson. Each school is requested to prepare hand work such as map drawing, biographies, pasting of pictures, complete books of the different grades in each department for a display either at fair or county convention.
The elementary report of 1914 shows the following growth: Number of cradle rolls, fifty-eight; number of babies enrolled, one thousand and ninety-five. The largest cradle roll in the county is at the Christian church at Zionsville, one hundred and fifty.
COUNTY CONVENTIONS.
The Indiana Sunday School Association began its work in 1857 and was reorganized in 1865. The first county convention that we have been able to obtain date was held at Mechanicsburg in 1876. We presume conventions were held prior to that date and that they were held annually ever since then but we have not been able to obtain the dates or the places where they were held.
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We have record of the following conventions and their dates :
1883-Thorntown.
1906-Lebanon.
1884-Sugar Plains.
1907-Thorntown.
1886-Lebanon. 1908-Advance.
1887-Mechanicsburg.
1909-Zionsville.
1888-Zionsville.
1910-Whitestown.
1892-Sugar Plains.
19II-Mechanicsburg.
1901-Lebanon.
1912-Jamestown.
1902-Sugar Plains.
1913-Lebanon.
1903-Zionsville.
1914-Zionsville.
1904-Whitestown.
1915 -- Thorntown.
1905-Mechanicsburg.
William H. Levering, of LaFayette, the most eminent Sunday school worker of the state was invited to be present at the county convention at Thorntown of 1907, but was unable to come, owing to sickness. It proved to be his last sickness and we publish his letter in the matter which gives the facts in the case.
SUPPOSED TO BE LAST LETTER.
LaFayette, Ind., August 6, 1907.
Mr. S. T. Johnson, President, Lebanon, Ind. :
My Dear Brother : I have just received your kindness of yesterday- an invitation to attend and take part in the exercises of your Ninth Annual Boone County Convention, to be held at Thorntown, September 3, proximo, for which I thank you right warmly.
It is well known that for a few years I have had to withdraw from travel because of physical disability-and the doctors. In this case I have con- sulted my care taker, Mrs. Levering, and she thinks I can undertake it if she goes with me. September 3rd occurs on Tuesday, I think.
The Big Four trains run on convenient time, I think, leaving here at 8:15 A. M., would put me in Thorntown about beginning time and a return passing Thorntown about 4 P. M., to bring us home-providing that train stops at Thorntown.
I note your instructions : "If you can come, please give subject of your
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address." Had you not said that, I would have suggested that you appoint for me an 'address,' but since you request it I will say, let it be some homely topic; some conversational, everyday talk with the faithful, say, "The Ideal County Convention."
Perhaps that is all I need say now, but desire to add: For me please give loving regards to all the Sunday school friends in Boone-I well re- member their courtesy.
In fellowship, WM. H. LEVERING.
In 1866 he aided in organizing the Tippecanoe County Sunday School Union and was its president for nearly thirty years.
He aided in the Indiana Sunday School Association in 1857, was at the reorganization in 1865 and was a member of the committee that framed the constitution. Served as president of the association from 1874-77 and again from 1881-87, when ill health compelled him to withdraw. During his first presidency he traveled over the state and organized conventions, institutes and normal classes in each of the ninety-two counties.
In 1869 he became interested in the National Sunday School Association and attended the convention during twenty years.
For twenty-three years he conducted Sunday school and evangelistic work for two churches of colored people in LaFayette which required attend- ance at three sessions each Sabbath.
He has collected and published a large amount of literature giving the history of Sunday school work in Indiana and the world, has it neatly bound and tabulated, placed in an elegant case, all of which he has bequeathed to the state library at Indianapolis. All of this work was without any compensation and he paid his own expenses of travel besides systematic contribution. His rule of life and conduct can be embraced in the following epigram: "Blessed are those who know their opportunities and improve them; their abilities and use them; their duties and do them."
If there is one man in Indiana that ranks in front of all others in long, earnest and faithful work in the Sabbath school field, it was William Hagy Levering, of LaFayette. All who knew him and his labors would concede to him this honor. On the 19th ult, thirteen days after his letter of acceptance
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at 10:15 P. M., he passed the border into the haven of rest. Mr. Levering left a widow and three children, viz: Mortimer Levering, of Lexington, Kentucky; Mrs. Charles R. Henderson, of Chicago; Mrs. A. H. Diver, of Trenton, Ontario.
JESSE (MILLIKAN) NEWLEY.
The subject of this sketch, Mrs. Jesse (Millikan) Newley, was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Millikan, of Thorntown, Indiana. Her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Millikan, were early pioneers of Boone county. Allen Millikan, apprentice of Mark A. Mitcham, made the first saddle in Thorntown, and afterward opened a saddle and harness shop of his own, carried on the business until his death, and was succeeded by his son, William, who still runs the shop, in partnership with his son. They have no competition. Jessie is the only daughter of William and Sadie Millikan and was carefully reared. In early life she attended the "Old Brown Academy," passing through all its grades. When it was razed to the ground, and supplanted by the commodious new brick grade school building, she continued her work in this; and graduated from the commissioned high school in the early nineties. For several years following, she was a pupil of Miss Baker's Kindergarten College, in Indianapolis. In September, 1907, she was employed by the Government, in a school at Ponce, Porto Rico. Here she instructed the children in English, while she took occasion to employ her leisure time in the study of the Spanish language. She remained two years. Came home in July, 1909. In the following August she received from the Government an appointment to Hoonah, Alaska, to teach the Indians. She took the long trip unattended, and taught in Alaska two years. At the end of that period she was promoted and assigned to a school at Susitna. She performed the work here with her usual vigor. skill and success. Her great zeal and energy attracted the admiration and attention of the superintendent of the school, Mr. H. W. Newley, to whom she was married, July 6, 1912. At the close of the year they gave up mission work and settled down to make Susitna their home, Mr. Newley entering the mercantile business, and she devoting herself to the duties of home-making, after having had so successful a career. Our best wishes attend them onward through life's journey, for she was a faithful member of our Berean Sabbath school class for quite a number of years.
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