USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of DeKalb County, Indiana : together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns and biographies of representative citizens : Also a condensed history of Indiana > Part 36
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Theodore Reed, the next proprietor, came hither from Columbia City, Whitley County, where he had been Depnty Auditor. He shortly sold an interest in the paper to Robert J. Lowry, son of Judge Robert Lowry, who is now in Congress from this district. The firm of Reed & Lowry continued until the spring of 1880, when Mr. Lowry purchased Mr. Reed's interest. The latter went into the employ of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company as book- keeper in the construction department, and in this capacity he is now, residing at St. Paul, Minn. Mr. Lowry, who had followed printing in various places, and was fully competent to carry on a paper, conducted the Courier until his death, a few months later.
In December, 1880, the office was purchased by James A. Barns and D. Y .. Husselman, who conducted the paper during 1881. Jan. 1, 1882, F. B. Blair bought the interest of Mr. Husselman, who
D. Jimberlin.
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thereupon resumed the practice of the law. He was elected County Clerk in the fall of 1882, and assumed the duties of that position in November, 1884. For a biography of Mr. Husselman, see the chapter devoted to the bar. Mr. Blair, a son of General Lewis J. Blair, of Waterloo, remained with the Courier but a short time, disposing of his interest to Mr. Barns in March, 1882. He is now day operator for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company, at La Porte.
JAMES A. BARNS, proprietor and editor of the Courier, was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., near Memphis, June 7, 1832, the son of Cyrus and Eliza (Elliott) Barns. He was reared to farm life, his father removing to La Porte County, this State, and taking up a tract of land there, in 1839. He profited by the advantages of the district schools, and on arriving at years of maturity taught two winters in Berrien County, Mich., but a few miles from his home. He then, in 1855, entered Hillsdale College, where he for three years attended the fall and winter terms, teaching in the winters and working at whatever offered itself in the summers. He lacked but two terms of graduation at the college, and during his contest with stern problems of life he has found time to acquire vastly more book knowledge than was comprised in the regular course of study for those two terms. Adopting the vocation of a teacher, Mr. Barns then conducted schools in Berrien and La Porte counties; was for two years principal of the High School at Wolf Lake, Noble County; two years principal at Pierceton, Kosciusko County; two years principal at Ligonier, Noble County; and coming to Water- loo, this county, in August, 1869, he taught there for one year. Purchasing the Air Line, he conducted that paper for six months, after which he was for another year principal of the school at Waterloo. Commencing with 1871, he was School Examiner for two years; and that office being changed by law to County Super- intendent, he held the latter position for the ensuing six years, consecutively, and also from 1881 to 1883. From 1879 to 1883 he was engaged in the ice business at Syracuse, Kosciusko County. In December, 1880, he became interested in the Courier, as before stated. Mr. Barns was married at Pierceton, Ind., Dec. 8, 1867, to Miss Alicia H. Lamson, daughter of Lafayette and Phebe (Scott) Lamson. One daughter has been born-Nellie L., Nov. 9, 1874. Mr. Barns is politically a staunch Democrat. Mrs. Barns is a member of the Presbyterian church.
The Herald was the first paper published at Butler. It began
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its brief but creditable career in 1866, under the management of W. T. Kinney, who, a year after, removed his material to Ligonier, and there started another paper. The Herald was succeeded at Butler, in 1868, by the Banner of Liberty, published by Emory Higley. He soon removed to Auburn, where he continued it under the caption of the Auburn Times, for a brief period. The Butler News was commenced in the town designated, in 1874, by R. H. Weamer, who, after a few months, removed the office to Auburn, and started the
DE KALB COUNTY REPUBLICAN.
Mr. Weamer afterward received, as a partner, George Weamer, a nephew; and in March, 1878, R. H. Weamer's interest was pur- chased by C. P. Houser. This partnership continued until May following, when the latter disposed of his share to George Weamer, who then became sole proprietor. In March, 1881, the Republican office became the property of C. P. Houser and Joseph Rainier, the latter of whom sold to Mr. Houser in November following. In June, 1884, Mr. Houser received, as a partner, Myron H. Hois- ington. The Republican was a five-column quarto until Mr. Houser came into the business, since which date it has been a six- column quarto. It was printed on the co-operative plan until July 10, 1884, when the present policy was adopted of printing all eight pages at home. The new Potter press purchased in September, 1883, was the first cylinder press in the county.
C. P. HOUSER, the senior proprietor of the Republican, was born in Holmes County, Ohio, Jan. 11, 1844, the son of Samuel and Julia Ann (Wortsbaugh) Houser. Samuel Houser was for many years a teacher, and he also followed agriculture a portion of his life. In 1857 he removed with his family to Fairfield Township, this county, where he cleared a tract of land, and carried on farm- ing for eight years. He then exchanged his farm for a stock of dry-goods at Corunna, shortly afterward removing the same to Se- dan. He then sold out and removed to Kendallville, in 1872. From this time on he traveled for various school-furnishing com- panies, among them being A. H. Andrews & Co., of Chicago; George H. Grant & Co., of Richmond; the Noble School Furnish- ing Company, of Goshen; the Sidney School Furnishing Company, of Sidney, Ohio, and one at Battle Creek, Mich. He was ac- cidentally run over Sept. 17, 1884, and died seven days later, on the 24th. The subject of this sketch received a good common
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English education, and early in 1865 enlisted in the army, serving eight months. Returning home, he taught school several terms in Fairfield Township, one year at Corunna, and several years at Sedan. In 1870 he entered the Indiana State Normal School at Terre Haute, remaining from spring to fall, after which he taught a term one mile south of Corunna, in Richland Township. In the spring of 1871 he entered the county anditor's office as deputy, remaining the summer following. He then taught one year at Auburn, and in 1872, just before his father commenced traveling for school-supply companies, he engaged in the same business. He was first in the employ of A. H. Andrews & Co., of Chicago, for eight years. In the mean time, from 1874 to 1877, he conducted the first bookstore in Auburn, selling the same in the latter year to M. B. Willis. In May, 1878, he engaged on salary (having pre- viously worked on commission) with C. E. Dickinson & Co., branch house of A. H. Andrews & Co., and in 1880 he made an engage- ment direct with the latter firm. Commencing in February, 1883, he was for six months Gener al School-Book Agent for Indiana, for D. Appleton & Co. In 1880 he became connected with the Repub- lican, as before related, and he still carries on the paper, besides devoting a portion of his time to the school-supply trade. He was married March 28, 1872, to Miss Amanda E. Hoisington, daughter of H. H. and Malinda (Hart) Hoi sington, of Newville, this county. Mr. Houser is a member of the Legion of Honor and the Grand Army of the Republic, and he and Mrs. Houser are members of the Presbyterian church.
MYRON H. HOISINGTON, junior proprietor of the Republican, was born in Wyandotte County, Ohio, Feb. 3, 1860, the son of Albert and Emily (Mulholland) Hoisington. The father followed agri- culture. He enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Ohio, was captured in August, 1864, and starved in Danville, Va., in the rebel prison, dying Nov. 19, 1864. His widow resides now at Adrian, Mich. Myron H., the subject of this notice, lived in Wy- andotte County, Ohio, till the fall of 1879, when he removed with his mother to Adrian, Mich. Here he attended Adrian College for four years, completing the Sophomore year of the course. In the fall of 1883 he visited Illinois, and in January, 1884, he came to Auburn. During April and May, 1884, he traveled in Ohio for the Union School Furnishing Company, and June 1, 1884, he pur- chased a one-third interest in the Republican.
In October, 1875, C. W. Wing & Co. started the Garrett News,
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with Thomas Malony as editor. This paper was of short duration, and the town was for some time dependent upon Auburn for its newspapers. In August, 1877, however, the
GARRETT HERALD
was established by Otho J. Powell. It was first a seven-column folio, then an eight-column folio, and since Feb. 7, 1884, it has appeared as a five-column quarto. The Herald is Republican in politics, and is pronounced in its advocacy of temperance. Con- siderable space is also given to the religions department.
OTHO J. POWELL, editor and proprietor, was born in Washington County, Md., Oct. 8, 1838, the son of Moses G. and Maria (Price) Powell. The former was by occu pation a cooper, but also followed carpentering for some years. He died in his native county in 1859. Otho was reared one mile west of the village of Boonesboro, where he lived until twenty-two years old. He received but limited school advantages, being early set at work at the cooper's trade. He first worked at this when ten years old, and so small that he had to stand on a box while putting the hoops on the flour barrels. At the age of twenty-two he spent six months as a student under the instruc- tion of a Mr. James Brown. This gentleman was a skillful teacher, and had taught for twenty-five years, Mr. Powell's father having studied under him. He was next employed in the printing office of Isaiah Wolfersberger, at Boonesboro, publisher of the Boones- boro Odd Fellow, a Whig newspaper. Wolfersberger selling to Messrs. Irwin & Bruner, Mr. Powell worked for those gentlemen as foreman about three months, at the expiration of which time he followed coopering for a summer, with his father. On the approach of troops toward Antietam, a few miles distant, he formed a part- nership with one Daniel Thomas, to act as sutler to the Union soldiers. This he followed for two months. Nov. 13, 1862, he came to Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and until May 2, 1864, he acted as fore- man in the office of the Wyandotte County Pioneer, published by Lewis A. Bruner. He then enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company A, and served about four months, during which time he was stationed at the Relay House, nine miles below Baltimore. Returning to Upper Sandusky in September, he was offered anjinterest in the Pioneer, by Mr. Bruner, aud the paper was published for nine months under the name of Bruner & Powell. In August, 1865, Mr. Powell was paid, by his partner, $50, to annul a three years' contract. He
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
purchased an office at Bucyrus, Ohio, and moved it to Wapakoneta, Anglaize County, where he started the Wapakoneta Union, Sept. 13, 1865. This was the first Republican paper in that county, and after many changes and vicissitudes, it has become a permanent success, though under a changed name.
In June, 1870, he sold to E. B. Walkup, and with the proceeds went into the sewing-machine business. This he followed for nearly two years, dealing first in the Davis, and latterly in the Elias Howe machine. Mr. Walkup liaving moved his office to Marysville, in the same county, and started a neutral paper, leav- ing no Republican paper in the county, in September, 1872, Mr. Powell started at Wapakoneta the Auglaize County Republican which he published until December, 1875. Removing to Chicago Junction, Ohio, he started the Chicago Herald. Here he did a good business until a disastrous fire caused a decline in the town's prosperity. He then, in August, 1877, moved his material to Gar- rett, as before mentioned, and commenced the publication of the Garrett Herald.
Mr. Powell was married at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Feb. 11, 1864, to Miss Sophia Smith, daughter of Samuel and Catherine Smith, of that city. To Mr. and Mrs. Powell have been given five children, four of whom survive-Ella M. was born July 6, 1866; Willis B., April 12, 1868; Clarence, Jan. 20, 1870 (died when ten months old); Mary A., Nov. 23, 1872; and Florence L., Sept. 28, 1881. Mr. Powell and wife are members of the English Lutheran church, but attend the Episcopal church, their own denomination having no organization at Garrett.
BUTLER RECORD.
The Butler Record was established in March, 1877, by W. M. Kist. Mr. Kist's home was in Warsaw, Kosciusko County, but for a year previous to coming here he had conducted the Manchester Journal, at Manchester, Ind. He published the Record until the fall of 1880, when failing health compelled him to give up his work. He leased the paper to R. H. Weamer for one year, and died six months later, at Warsaw. In the fall of 1881, at the expiration of Mr. Weamer's lease, Mrs. Kist sold the office to her brother, W. F. Garrison, who has since conducted the Record with good success. It is a Republican sheet published on Friday. In size, it is an eight-column folio. Before Mr. Garrison's proprietorship it was a six-column folio.
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
W. F. GARRISON, editor and proprietor, was born in Washing- ton Township, Elkhart County, Dec. 1, 1855, the son of Alfred and Mary (Jaques) Garrison. The latter was a native of Ohio. The father, a native of the Empire State, followed farming until the last ten or twelve years of his life, when he retired from active work, and made his home in the village of Bristol, Elkhart County. He died in 1881, and his widow now lives at Butler with her son. The grandfather of W. F. Garrison was a Baptist minister, was one of the first settlers in Elkhart County, and preached the first funeral sermon in the same. The subject of this notice lived on the pa- rental farm until sixteen years old (except two years in Bristol), and then made his home in Bristol. He attended the common schools, and received a good English education. At the age of seventeen he commenced teaching, which he followed for seven winters, working during the summer seasons at whatever offered itself. He was then married and managed his father's farm until the fall of 1881, when he came to Butler. His marriage occurred at Bristol, March 19, 1878, to Miss Emma Virgil, daughter of Jacob and Fidelia (Wade) Virgil. Mr. Garrison is a zealous Republican. Mrs. Garrison is connected with the Baptist church.
BUTLER REVIEW.
The Butler Review is the youngest newspaper in De Kalb County. It was established in February, 1882, by R. H. Weamer, who was formerly publisher of the Record, and before that, of the De Kalb Republican. The Review is Democratic in political aim. It is a six-column quarto in size, though formerly much smaller. Oct. 1, 1884, Mr. Weamer disposed of the paper, and it was edited by Edmund Calkins until March, 1885. From March until May, 1885, the Review was edited by George Lautzenheiser, when it was purchased by John J. Higgins, who is now editor and sole proprietor.
EDMUND CALKINS was born April 25, 1836, in West Corn- wallis, N. S., the son of Elias and Hannah Calkins. The father was a farmer the greater part of his life, but now resides in Hali- fax. Edmund was reared on his father's farm until the age of eighteen, attending school winters, and then for three years attended Arcadia Colle ge. Attaining his majority, he worked for a sum- mer in New York State, and then for two years in Wisconsin suc- cessively on the La Crosse & Milwaukee, the Baraboo Valley, and the Transit (of Minnesota) railroads. Coming next to Indiana, he
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was for a time interested in contracts for the Pan Handle Rail- road. He then followed farming until 1882, when he purchased the Roann Clarion, and became publisher of the same. This he sold on account of sickness. In the fall of 1884 he purchased his interest in the Review. He was married in 1860 to Hattie Barron, by whom he had a son and a daughter.
JOHN J. HIGGINS, editor of the Butler Review, was born in the city of New York, April 9, 1853, a son of James Higgins, a native of Blackburn, Lancashire, England, who was lost in a shipwreck when our subject was eighteen months old. He at- tended the schools of New York till January, 1864, and then accompanied his mother to St. Johns, Mich., where his education was completed. In 1872 he went to Newport, Mich., and re- mained till the summer of 1875, when he returned to St. Johns. The following fall he went to Windsor, Canada, and in the spring of 1876 was employed on the lakes as Steward of the schooner H. C. Winslow, J. H. Francis, Captain. From July till Novem- ber, 1876, he bought grain at Gaines, Mich., for C. Loranger & Co., of Detroit, and from that time till the fall of 1882 bought staves for the West India market. In January, 1882, he moved to Butler, Ind. He engaged in the grocery business in Butler about ten months, and then for a short time was employed as col- lector for J. H. Morrow, dealer in bankrupt stocks of boots and shoes, leaving the latter position to take charge of the Review. Mr. Higgins was married Nov. 25, 1877, to Lottie E. Barrett, daughter of Henry J. Barrett, of Oakley, Mich. They have one child-John C.
G
CHAPTER VIII.
BAR AND COURTS.
EARLY MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION .- OTHERS WHO HAVE COME AND GONE .- PRESENT BAR .- FIRST GRAND AND PETIT JU- RORS .- FIRST CIRCUIT COURT.
Fast treading upon the heels of the first settlers in any commu- nity come the lawyers. They often become the leading men of the county from their first arrival, whether they deserve it or not. Whatever may be said against courts and litigation and lawyers, we know that we have them, and cannot get rid of them; and after all, we are probably better off with than without them. The De Kalb County Bar embraces a number of gentlemen of respectabil- ity, integrity and intellectual vigor, of whom any community might well be proud. A few who have practiced law in years gone by should be mentioned before giving a list of the present bar.
The first lawyer in the county was one W. Smith, who came to Auburn in the early part of 1842, and remained about a year and a half. But little is known of him, even by those who were then residents.
Judge Egbert B. Mott came in the summer of 1843, from Ohio. He was then about forty years old, and had had considerable prac- tice. He held the office of Common Pleas Judge in this county for four years, and died about the close of the war. His widow (a sister of the well-known authoress, Mrs. Ann S. Stevens) yet lives at Auburn. His son, Egbert B. Mott, Jr., was an attorney, en- tered the army during the late civil war, was wounded, and died at Louisville. He was brought home and he lies buried beside his father.
With regard to the early years of Judge Mott's life in Auburn, Mr. Widney says in his " Pioneer Sketches:"
" At that early day clients were rather scarce. People generally had little or nothing to go to law about, and still less to pay law- yers' fees, and very little time to spare from their strenuous efforts to get the necessaries of life, to spend in court. A few of late
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years seem disposed to make ample amends for this neglect of the members of the bar. Judge Mott informs me that his first winter in town was spent in the honorable employment of village school- master. The following anecdote of Judge Morris comes second- handed from the Judge himself. He was at home, rather hard up for funds, as was fashionable in that day, and his wife being in rather poor health, he was scrubbing the house, with coat off, sleeves and pants rolled up, and in a perfect deluge of sand and suds, when up stepped a gentleman from the vicinity of Enter- prise and inquired where ' Lawyer Morris' was to be found? The man with the mop modestly replied that Morris was his name, when the stranger, eyeing him askance, told him that he had a case before Esquire somebody, in which ' old Doc Ladue' was his antagonist, and that he wanted to get two good lawyers on his side, 'being as the old Doc was rather crafty.' During this short speech, Morris was a deeply interested auditor, and when it was finished. he quickly laid aside his broom and mop, rolled down his sleeves and pants, put on his ' fix-ups,' dressing his lower extremities with one boot and one shoe, for want of mates, and in a very short time he and Mott were on the trail for Esquire somebody's, away up in Franklin Township. Ten dollars was the fee received and perhaps never did an 'X' come more opportunely."
JUDGE JOHN MORRIS came from Auglaize County, Ohio (born in Columbiana County), in the fall of 1844. He was then about twen- ty-five years old and of Quaker parentage. He practiced at Auburn until 1857, then removed to Fort Wayne. He was Com- mon Pleas Judge of this county for four years, from 1852 to 1856. For the last few years he has been a member of the Supreme Court Commission at Indianapolis, though his home is still at Fort Wayne. He is justly regarded as one of the most prominent law- yers in Northern Indiana. He is a gentleman and a scholar. His son, Samuel L. Morris, is a prominent young attorney at Fort Wayne, a member of the firm of Coombs, Bell & Morris.
HON. T. Y. DICKINSON, another pioneer, came from Portage County, Ohio, in the fall of 1845, being then about thirty years old. He was a successful lawyer, and something of a politician. Was in the State Senate four years. During the war he was the first draft commissioner and enrolling officer appointed for De Kalb County. The last few years of his life he was a pension and bounty agent. His death occurred in 1880.
REUBEN J. DAWSON, of Spencerville, resided in this county for
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twenty years before his death, which occurred in 1859, at the age of forty-eight. He was as prominent a man as any that figures in the history of Northeastern Indiana. He was prosecuting Attor- ney, served a term in each branch of the Legislature, was nomi- nated for Common Pleas Judge in 1852 against Judge Morris, was appointed Circuit Judge in 1857 holding the position one year, and was a candidate for Congress in 1858, but was defeated by C. Case. At the time of his death he was worth $150,000, and was the wealthiest man in the county. A man of limited early educa- tion, he was yet of decided ability. He had a wonderful power of sarcasm which he wielded at times. As a lawyer he was not tech- nically learned, but he was distinguished for his great good sense in applying the law to the business transactions of life. More is said of Mr. Dawson in other chapters of this work. Of his three sons, the second is now Prosecuting Attorney in Allen County.
J. B. BEERS came to Waterloo in 1861, and practiced for two or three years, then removing to Stanton, Mich. He was considered as an able lawyer.
C. P. HODGE practiced at Auburn for about five years during and after the war. He is a finely educated man and has taught school since withdrawing from practice.
JAMES B. MORRISON resided at the county seat and practiced from 1858 to 1866. He was an able lawyer and accumulated a goodly property and is now banking and farming in the State of Iowa.
ISAAC E. KNISELY was a successful attorney at Waterloo for some years subsequent to 1862. He then resided at Ligonier until 1880, when he removed to Toledo.
JOSEPH L. MORLAN came from Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1864, settled at Waterloo and practiced until 1880. At the time of his death he was a partner of Hon. R. Wes. McBride. He had previously been connected with E. D. Hartman. He was a noted wit, very eccentric and sharp at repartee. He has been called the John Randolph of the bar.
Of the present bar, the oldest practitioner is L. Covell, of Gar- rett. Next in seniority come W. H. Dills and A. F. Pinchin, who were admitted on the same day, in April, 1855. Others who have seen long service are General L. J. Blair, C. A. O. McClellan, E. D. Hartman, J .. E. Rose and E. W. Fosdick. The following is a complete list of the De Kalb County bar, arranged in the order of their admission to practice: L. Covell, W. H. Dills, A. F. Pin- chin, L. J. Blair, C. A. O. McClellan, E. D. Hartman, J. E. Rose,
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
E. W. Fosdick, Guy Plum, D. D. Moody, P. J. Lockwood, D. Y. Husselman, W. L. Penfield, H. C. Peterson, A. J. Baxter, P. V. Hoffman, R. D. Tefft, C. M. Phillips, W. H. Leas, C. Emanuel, O. L. Young, J. B. Boyle, T. H. Sprott, J. M. Somers, C. J. Coats, F. A. Brink, Frank S. Roby, H. J .Shaffer, Don A. Garwood, F. M. Bacon, B. Green, F. K. Blake.
The following non-resident attorneys also practice here: A. A. Chapin, J. A. Woodhull, J. H. Baker. J. A. S. Mitchell, J. Strat- ton and H. Y. Zimmerman.
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