History of Elkhart County, Indiana; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history: portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 15

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, C. C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1192

USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > History of Elkhart County, Indiana; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history: portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 15

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I once cut cord-wood, continues Mr. Cox, at 31} cents per cord, and walked a mile and a half night and morning, where the first frame college was built northwest of town (Crawfordsville). Prof. Curry, the lawyer, would sometimes come down and help for an hour or two at a time, by way of amusement, as there was little or no law business in the town or country at that time. Reader, what would you think of going six to eight miles to help roll logs, or raise a cabin? or ten to thirteen miles to mill, and wait three or four days and nights for your grist? as many had to do in the first settlement of this country. Such things were of frequent oc- currence then, and there was but little grumbling about it. It was a grand sight to see the log heaps and brush piles burning in the night on a clearing of 10 or 15 acres. A Democratic torchlight procession, or a midnight march of the Sons of Malta with their grand Gyasticutus in the center bearing the grand jewel of the order, would be nowhere in comparison with the log-heaps and brush piles in a blaze.

But it may be asked, Had you any social amusements, or manly pastimes, to recreate and enliven the dwellers in the wilderness? We had. In the social line we had our meetings and our singing- schools, sugar-boilings and weddings, which were as good as ever

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came off in any country, new or old; and if our youngsters did not " trip the light fantastic toe" under a professor of the Terpsi- chorean art or expert French dancing-master, they had many a good "hoe-down" on puncheon floors, and were not annoyed by bad whisky. And as for manly sports, requiring mettle and muscle, there were lots of wild hogs running in the cat-tail swamps on Lye creek, and Mill creek, and among them many large boars that Ossian's heroes and Homer's model soldiers, such as Achilles, Hector and Ajax would have delighted to give chase to. The boys and men of those days had quite as much sport, and made more money and health by their hunting excursions than our city gents nowa- days playing chess by telegraph where the players are more than 70 miles apart.

WHAT THE PIONEERS HAVE DONE.

Indiana is a grand State, in many respects second to none in the Union, and in almost every thing that goes to make a live, prosperous community, not far behind the best. Bencath her fertile soil is coal enough to supply the State for generations; her harvests are bountiful; she has a medium climate, and many other things, that make her people contented, prosperous and happy; but she owes much to those who opened up these avenues that have led to her present condition and happy surroundings. Unremit- ting toil and labor have driven off the sickly miasmas that brooded over swampy prairies. Energy and perseverance have peopled every section of her wild lands, and changed them from wastes and deserts to gardens of beauty and profit. When but a few years ago the barking wolves made the night hideous with their wild shrieks and howls, now is heard only the lowing and bleating of domestic animals. Only a half century ago the wild whoop of the Indian rent the air where now are heard the engine and rumbling trains of cars, bearing away to markets the products of our labor and soil. Then the savage built his rude huts on the spot where now rise the dwellings and school-houses and church spires of civ- ilized life. How great the transformation! This change has been brought about by the incessant toil and aggregated labor of thousands of tired hands and anxious hearts, and the noble aspira- tions of such men and women as make any country great. What will another half century accomplish? There are few, very few, of these old pioneers yet lingering on the shores of time as connect- ing links of the past with the present. What must their thoughts

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be as with their dim eyes they view the scenes that surround them? We often hear people talk about the old-fogy ideas and fogy ways, and want of enterprise on the part of the old men who have gone through the experiences of pioneer life. Sometimes, perhaps, such remarks are just, but, considering the experiences, education and entire life of such men, such remarks are better unsaid. They have had their trials, misfortunes, hardships and adventures, and shall we now, as they are passing far down the western decliv- ity of life, and many of them gone, point to them the finger of derision and langh and sneer at the simplicity of their ways? Let us rather cheer them up, revere and respect them, for beneath those rough exteriors beat hearts as noble as ever throbbed in the human breast. These veterans have been compelled to live for weeks upon hominy and, if bread at all, it was bread made from corn ground in hand-mills, or pounded up with mortars. Their children have been destitute of shoes during the winter; their families had no clothing except what was carded, spun, wove and made into garments by their own hands; schools they had none; churches they had none; afflicted with sickness incident to all new countries, sometimes the entire family at once; luxuries of life they had none; the auxiliaries, improvements, inventions and labor-saving machinery of to-day they had not; and what they possessed they obtained by the hardest of labor and individual exer- tions, yet they bore these hardships and privations without mur- muring, hoping for better times to come, and often, too, with but little prospect of realization.

As before mentioned, the changes written on every hand are most wonderful. It has been but three-score years since the white man began to exercise dominion over this region, erst the home of the red men, yet the visitor of to-day, ignorant of the past of the country, could scarcely be made to realize that within these years there has grown up a population of 2,000,000 people, who in all the accomplishments of life are as far advanced as are the inhabi- tants of the older States. Schools, churches, colleges, pala- tial dwellings, beautiful grounds, large, well-cultivated and produc- tive farms, as well as cities, towns and busy manufactories, have grown up, and occupy the hunting grounds and camping places of the Indians, and in every direction there are evidences of wealth, comfort and luxury. There is but little left of the old landmarks. Advanced civilization and the progressive demands of revolving years have obliterated all traces of Indian occupancy, until they are only remembered in name.

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In closing this section we again would impress upon the minds. of our readers the fact that they owe a debt of gratitude to those who pioneered this State, which can be but partially repaid. Never grow unmindful of the peril and adventure, fortitude, self-sacrifice and heroic devotion so prominently displayed in their lives. As time sweeps on in its ceaseless flight, may the cherished memories of them lose none of their greenness, but may the future generations alike cherish and perpetuate them with a just devotion to gratitude.

MILITARY DRILL.

In the days of muster and military drill, so well known through- out the country, a specimen of pioneer work was done on the South Wea prairie, as follows, according to Mr. S. C. Cox:

The Captain was a stont-built, muscular man, who stood six feet four in his boots, and weighed over 200 pounds; when dressed in his uniform, a blue hunting-shirt fastened with a wide red sash, with epaulettes on each shoulder, his large sword fastened by his side, and tall plume waving in the wind, he looked like another William Wallace, or Roderick Dhu, unsheathing his claymore in defense of his country. His company consisted of about 70 men, who had reluctantly turned ont to muster to avoid paying a fine; some with guns, some with sticks, and others carrying corn-stalks. The Captain, who had but recently been elected, understood his business better than his men supposed he did. He intended to give them a thorough drilling, and showed them that he understood the ma- neuvers of the military art as well as he did farming and fox hunt. ing, the latter of which was one of his favorite amusements. After forming a hollow square, marching and counter-marching, and putting them through several other evolutions, according to Scott's tactics, he commanded his men to "form a line." They partially complied, but the line was crooked. He took his sword and passed it along in front of his men, straightening the line. By the time he passed from one end of the line to the other, on casting lis eye back, he discovered that the line presented a zigzag and unmilitary ap- pearance. Someof the men were leaning on their guns, some on their sticks a yard in advance of the line, and others as far in the rear. The Captain's dander arose; he threw his cocked hat, feather and all, on the ground, took off his red sash and hunting-shirt, and threw them, with his sword. upon his hat; he then rolled up his sleeves and shouted with the voice of a stentor, "Gentlemen, form a line

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and keep it, or I'll thrash the whole company." Instantly the whole line was straight as an arrow. The Captain was satisfied, put on his clothes again, and never had any more trouble in drilling his company.

JACK, " THE PHILOSOPHER OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY."

In early day in this State, before books and newspapers were in- troduced, a few lawyers were at a certain place in the habit of play- ing cards, and sometimes drinking a little too much whisky. During the session of a certain court, a man named John Stevenson, but who was named "Jack," and who styled himself the "philoso- pher of the 19th century," found out where these genteel sports- men met of evenings to peruse the "history of the four kings." He went to the door and knocked for admission; to the question, " Who is there?" he answered, "Jack." The insiders hesitated; he knocked and thumped importunately; at length a voice from within said, " Go away, Jack; we have already four ' Jacks ' in our game, and we will not consent to have a 'cold one' wrung in on us."

Indignant at this rebuff from gentlemen from whom he had ex- pected kinder treatment, he left, muttering vengeance, which excited no alarm in the minds of the players. At first he started away to walk off his passion, but the longer he walked the madder he got, and he finally concluded that he would not "pass " while he held or might hold so many trumps in his hands, but would return and play a strong hand with them. Accordingly he gath- ered his arms full of stones a little larger than David gathered to throw at Goliath, and when he came near enough he threw a volley of them in through the window into the room where they were playing, extinguishing their lights, and ronting the whole band with the utmost trepidation into the street, in search of their curi- ous assailant. Jack stood his ground and told them that that was a mere foretaste of what they might expect if they molested him in the least.

Next day the pugnacions Jack was arrested to answer an indict- ment for malicious mischief; and failing to give bail, was lodged in jail. His prosecutors laughed through the grates of the prison as they passed. Meanwhile Jack " nursed his wrath to keep it warm," and indicted a speech in his own defense. In due time he was taken before the Court, the indictment was read, and he was asked what he pleaded to the indictment. "Not guilty,"

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he answered in a deep, earnest tone. " Have you counsel engaged to defend you, Mr. Stevenson ?" inquired the Judge. " No; please your honor; I desire none; with your permission I will speak for myself." "Very well," said the Judge. A titter ran through the crowd. After the prosecuting attorney had gone through with the evidence and his opening remarks in the case, the prisoner arose and said, " It is a lamentable fact well known to the Court and Jury and to all who hear me, that our county seat has for many years been infested and disgraced, especially during Court time, with a knot of drunken, carousing gamblers, whose Bacchanalian revels and midnight orgies disturb the quiet and pollute the morals of our town. Shall these nuisances longer remain in our midst, to debauch society and lead our young men to destruction? Fully impressed with a sense of their turpitude, and my duty as a good citizen to the community in which I live, I resolved to 'abate the nuisance,' which, according to the doctrine of the common law, with which your honor is familiar, I or any other citizen had a right to do. I have often listened with pleasure to the charges your honor gave the Grand Jury to ferret out crime and all manner of gaming in our community. I saw I had it in my power to ferret out these fellows with a volley of stones, and save the county the cost of finding and trying a half a dozen indictments. Judge, I did 'abate the nuisance,' and consider it one of the most meritorious acts of my life."

The prosecutor made no reply. The Judge and lawyers looked at each other with a significant glance. A nolle prosequi was entered, Jack was acquitted and was ever afterward considered " trump."-Settlement of the Wabash Valley.

"TOO FULL FOR UTTERANCE."

The early years of Indiana afford to the enquirer a rare oppor- tunity to obtain a glimpse of the political and even social relation of the Indianians of the olden time to the moderns. As is custom- ary in all new countries there was to be found, within the limits of the new State, a happy people, far removed from all those influ- ences which tend to interfere with the public morals: they possessed the courage and the gait of freeborn men, took an especial interest in the political questions affecting their State, and often, when met under the village shade trees to discuss sincerely, and unostenta- tiously, some matters of local importance, accompanied the subject before their little convention with song and jest, and even the cup

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which cheers but not inebriates. The election of militia officers for the Black Creek Regiment may be taken for example. The village sehool boys prowled at large, for on the day previous the teacher expressed his intention of attending the meeting of electors, and of aiding in building up a military company worthy of his own importanee, and the reputation of the few villagers. The industri- ous matrons and maids-bless their souls-donned the habiliments of fashion, and as they arrived at the meeting ground, ornamented the scene for which nature in its untouched simplicity did so much. Now arrived the moment when the business should be entered on. With a good deal of urging the ancient Elward Tomkins took the ehair, and with a pompous air, wherein was concentrated a con- sciousness of his own importanee, demanded the gentlemen entrusted with resolutions to open the proceedings. By this time a respected elector brought forward a jar and an uncommonly large tin-cup. These articles proved objects of very serious attention, and when the chairman repeated his demand, the same humane eleetor filled the cup to the brim, passed it to the venerable president and bade him drink deep to the prosperity of Indiana, of Black Creek, and of the regiment about to be forined. The secretary was treated similarly, and then a drink all round the thirty electors and their friends. This ceremony completed, the military subjeet melted into nothingness before the great question, then agitating the peo- ple, viz., " Should the State of Indiana accept the grant of land donated by Congress for the construction of the Wabash and Erie canal, from Lake Erie to the month of Tippecanoe river?" A son of Esculapius, one Doctor Stone, protested so vehemently against entertaining even an idea of accepting the grant, that the parties favorable to the question felt themselves to be treading on tottering grounds. Stone's logic was to the point, unconquerable; but his enemies did not surrender hope; they looked at one another, then at the young sehool-teacher, whom they ultimately selected as their orator and defender. The meeting adjourned for an hour, after which the youthful teacher of the young ideas ascended the rostrum. His own story of his emotions and efforts may be acceptable. He says: "I was sorry they called upon me; for I felt about ' half seas over' from the free and frequent use of the tin-cup. I was puzzled to know what to do. To decline would injure me in the estimation of the neighborhood, who were strongly in favor of the grant; and, on the other hand, if I attempted to speak, and failed from intoxi- cation, it would ruin me with my patrons. Soon a fence-rail was

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slipped into the worn fence near by, and a wash-tub, turned bottom upward, placed upon it and on the neighboring rails, about five feet from the ground, as a rostrum for me to speak from. Two or three men seized hold of me and placed me upon the stand, amidst the vociferous shouts of the friends of the canal, which were none the less loud on account of the frequent circulation of the tin and jug. I could scarcely preserve my equilibrium, but there I was on the tub for the purpose of answering and exposing the Doctor's sophistries, and an anxious auditory waiting for me to exterminate him. But, strange to say, my lips refused utterance. I saw 'men as trees, walking,' and after a long, and to me, painful pause, I smote my hand upon my breast, and said, 'I feel too full for utterance.' (I meant of whisky, they thought of righteous indig- nation at the Doctor's effrontery in opposing the measure under consideration.) The ruse worked like a charm. The crowd shouted: ' Let him have it.' I raised my finger and pointed a moment steadily at the Doctor. The audience shouted, ' Hit him again.' Thus encouraged, I attempted the first stump speech I ever attempted to make; and after I got my mouth to go off (and a part of the whisky-in perspiration), I had no trouble whatever, and the liquor dispelled my native timidity that otherwise might have embarrassed me. I occupied the tub about twenty-five minutes. The Doctor, boiling over with indignation and a speech, mounted the tub and harangued us for thirty minutes. The 'young school-master' was again called for, and another speech from him of about twenty minutes closed the debate." A vive voce vote of the company was taken, which resulted in twenty-six for the grant and four against it. My two friends were elected Captain and Lieutenant, and I am back at my boarding house, ready for supper. with a slight headache. Strange as it may appear, none of them discovered that I was intoxicated. Lucky for me they did not, or I would doubtless lose my school. I now here promise myself, on this leaf of my day-book, that I will not drink liquor again, ex- cept given as a medical prescription."

It is possible that the foregoing incident was the origin of the double entendre, "Too full for utterance."

THIEVING AND LYNCH LAW.

During the year 1868 the sentiment began to prevail that the processes of law in relation to criminal proceedings were neither prompt nor sure in the punishment of crime. It was easy to ob-

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tain continnances and changes of venne, and in this way delay the administration of justice or entirely frustrate it. The consequence was, an encouragement and increase of crime and lynch law became apparent. An event this year excited the public conscience upon this subject. Agang of robbers, who had been operating many months in the southern counties, on the 22d of May attacked and plundered a railroad car of the Adams' Express company on the Jeffersonville road; they were captured, and after being kept several weeks in custody in Cincinnati, Ohio, they were put on board a train, July 20, to be taken to the county of Jackson, in this State, for trial. An armed body of the "Vigilance Committee " of Seymour county lay in wait for the train, stopped the cars by hoist- ing a red signal on the track, seized the prisoners, extorted a confes- sion from them, and hanged them without the form of a trial.

This same committee, to the number of 75 men, all armed and disguised, entered New Albany on the night of December 12, forcibly took the keys of the jail from the Sheriff, and proceeded to hang four others of these railroad robbers in the corridors of the prison. They published a proclamation, announcing by printed handbills that they would " swing by the neck until they be dead every thieving character they could lay their hands on, withont in- quiry whether they had the persons who committed that particu- lar crime or not."

CURING THE DRUNKEN HUSBAND.

Another case of necessity being the mother of invention occurred in Fountain county between 1825 and 1830, as thus related in the book above quoted:

A little old man, who was in the habit of getting drunk at every log rolling and honse-raising he attended, upon coming home at night would make indiscriminate war upon his wife and daughters, and everything that came in his way. The old lady and the dangh- ters bore with his tyranny and maudlin abuse as long as forbear. ance seemed to be a virtue. For awhile they adopted the doctrine of non-resistance and would fly from the house on his approach ; but they found that this only made him worse. At length they resolved to change the order of things. They held a council of war, in which it was determined that the next time he came home drunk they would catch him and tie him hand and foot, take him out and tie him fast to a tree, and keep him there until he got duly sober.

It was not long before they had an opportunity to excente their

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decrce. True to their plan, when they saw him coming, two of them placed themselves behind the door with ropes, and the other caught him by the wrists as he crossed the threshold. He was instantly lassocd. A tussle ensued, but the old woman and girls fell upper- most. They made him fast with the ropes and dragged him out toward the designated trec. He raved, swore, remonstrated and begged alternately, but to no effect; they tied him to the tree and kept him there most of the night. They did not even untie him directly after he became sober, until they extorted a promise from him that he would behave himself and keep sober for the future, and not maltreat them for the favor they had conferred upon him and themselves.

Two or three applications of this mild and diluted form of lynch law had an admirable effect in restoring order and peace in that family and correcting the conduet of the delinquent husband and father. The old woman thinks the plan they pursued far better and less expensive than it would have been if they had gone ten miles to Esquire Makepeace every few weeks and got out a writ for assault and battery besides the trouble and expense of attending as witnesses, $10 or $20 every month or two, and withal doing no good toward reforming the old man.

THE " CHOKE TRAP."

About 1808, in the neighborhood on the east fork of White river, there occurred a flagrant breach of the peace which demanded a summary execution of the law. A certain ungallant offender had flogged his wife in a most barbarous manner and then drove her from home. Bleeding and weeping, the poor woman appeared be- fore Justice Tongs for redress. The justice wrote out an affidavit, which was signed, sworn to, and subscribed in due form. A warrant was soon placed in the hands of a constable commanding him to arrest and forthwith bring the offender before Justice Tongs, to answer to the charge preferred against him. After an absence of some five or six hours, the constable returned with the prisoner in custody. He had had a vexatious time of it, for the prisoner, a gigantic man, had frequently on the way, after he had consented peaceably to accompany him to the magistrate's office, stopped short and declared he would go no further, observing at the same time that neither he (the constable) nor 'Squire Tongs had any business to meddle with his domestic concerns. It was during one of those vexatious parleys, the constable coaxing and persuading, and the

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prisoner protesting and swinging back like an unruly ox, that the constable fortunately spied a hunter at a short distance who was armed and accontred in real backwoods style. The constable beck- oned to the hunter, who then came up to his assistance, and who, after hearing the particulars of the affair, eocked his rifle, and soon galloped off the prisoner to the 'Squire's office.

But this was only the beginning of the trouble in the case. The witnesses were yet to be summoned and brought before the justice; even the complaining witness had unexpectedly withdrawn from the house and premises of the justice, and was to be looked after. The hunter could not possibly stay long, as his comrades were to meet him at a point down 10 or 15 miles distant that evening. The prisoner was quite sullen, and it was evident that the 'Squire could not keep him safely if the constable and hunter were to leave. Although the 'Squire's jurisdiction extended from the west line of Ohio far toward the Rocky Mountains, and from the Ohio river north to Green Bay, yet so sparse was the neighborhood in point of population, and so scattering were the settlers, that he and his faithful eonstable found that it would be but little use to a call upon the posse comitatus. But in this critical situation of affairs, the fruitful mind of the justice hit upon a first-rate plan to keep the prisoner until the witnesses could be brought. It was simply to pry up the corner of his heavy eight-rail fence near by, make a crack two or three rails above the ground, and thrust the prisoner's head through the crack, and then take out the pry.

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History of Elkhart County, Indiana; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history: portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 15

Author: Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, C. C. Chapman & co. Number of Pages: 1192

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, C. C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1192