USA > Indiana > Howard County > History of Howard County, Indiana, Vol II > Part 21
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a result was away from his company for some time, having been confined in the hospital at Lexington ; later he was a prisoner but was soon released, having been first taken to Cincinnati, then to Indianapolis, where they were exchanged in about three months. Mr. Smith then returned to his regiment. From Danville, Ken- tucky, they went down the Ohio until they came to the mouth of the Cumberland river, and finally arrived at Fort Donelson in time for the second fight. From there they were sent to Nashville. Next they were engaged at Thompson's Station. The subject veteranized. Then he took part in the engagement at Buzzard Roost. His regi- ment was in the Atlanta campaign, having fought at the fierce bat- tle of Peach Tree Creek and others. The subject was in the Sec- ond Army Corps under General Joseph Hooker. He was with Sherman on his march to the sea, also went to Washington City and took part in the grand review. He was mustered out at Louisville and received his pay at Indianapolis.
After his career in the army Mr. Smith returned to Warren county, Indiana. He had saved all his money. He would loan money to his comrades, buy and sell things for a profit and at the close of the war he had saved enough money to purchase one hun- dred and sixty acres of land in Vermilion county, Illinois. He soon had the farm all paid for and began to improve and cultivate it. de- veloping it into an excellent and highly productive farm.
Mr. Smith was married in the spring of 1867 to Julia A. Jones, who has proved a most worthy helpmeet, being a woman of culture and refinement. Two children have been born to this union, name- ly : Ashley R. and Nettie J., both living in this state.
Our subject sold his farm in Illinois and returned to Warren county, Indiana. in 1876, and later became the owner of eighteen hundred acres of land in that county, all well drained and well improved. J. Frank Hanly, the present governor of Indiana, did the ditching on his farm. This land is worth one hundred and
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twenty-five dollars per acre, and the subject also owns five hundred and four acres in Howard county. Mr. Smith is not only a modern. progressive and up-to-date farmer, skillfully rotating his crops and handling large numbers of excellent stock of all kinds to advantage. but he has a wonderfully fertile executive brain and turns every- thing into money that he has to deal with. He is today worth three hundred thousand dollars. A large part of this was made in legiti- mate trading. for he knows the "ins and outs" of trading perhaps better than any man in Howard county, having at the same time es- tablished a reputation for square dealing. Since coming to this county in February, 1904. he has become known throughout the locality and is universally regarded as one of the foremost and lead- ing citizens of the county.
In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican, being well grounded in his political beliefs and ever ready to lend his assistance in the fur- thering of his party's principles, always using his influence, which is of much weight. in local conventions and elections, standing for the best men possible in the county offices. Being possessed of a laudable ambition for political preferment and constantly sought by his political friends, who at once recognized his superior attain- ments, our subject was induced to serve two terms as county com- missioner of Warren county, the duties of which he discharged with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of all concerned. When Governor Hanly was a candidate Mr. Smith backed him in sev- eral of his campaigns, not only lending his moral support, but finan- cial. In 1907 the governor appointed Mr. Smith a delegate to the Farmers' National Congress, which was held at Oklahoma City, and in 1908 the governor again extended the honor to our subject, the meeting being held at Madison, Wisconsin.
Mr. Smith is vice president of the First National Bank at Swayzee, Indiana, and is the largest stockholder in the bank, which is capitalized at twenty-five thousand dollars. This is one of the
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soundest and most popular institutions of its kind in this part of the state, largely due to the subject's prestige in the business world, for those who know him are not afraid to place their funds in any institution or enterprise with which he has any connection, knowing his unusual business ability and his clean record for integrity and up- rightness. He is a member of the Church of God, having his member- ship in Warren county. He is a man whose word is regarded by every one who knows him best as being as good as his note. In all the relations of life he has been found faithful to every trust im- posed on him and because of his sterling worth, courteous manners, liberality, public-spirited nature, pleasing address, commanding per- sonal appearance and his honesty he has won and retained the friend- ship of the people of Howard county during his brief residence here, and they are unstinted in their praise of his splendid business ability and reproachless character. His home is a model of cheerfulness. refinement, hospitality and wholesome atmosphere, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith are often hosts to the best people of the country and al- ways pleasant and kindly disposed to the less fortunate with whom they come in contact, thus meriting, winning and retaining the good will and admiration of all classes.
HON. WILL HOLLINGSWORTH ARNETT.
It is the progressive, wide-awake man of affairs that makes the real history of a community and his influence as a potential fac- tor of the body politic is difficult to estimate. The examples such men furnish if patient purpose and steadfast integrity strongly il- lustrate what is in the power of each to accomplish, and there is al- ways a full measure of satisfaction in adverting even in a casual way
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to their achievements in advancing the interests of their fellow men and in giving strength and solidity to the institutions which make so much for the prosperity of the community. Such a man is the worthy subject of this sketch, and as such it is proper that a re- view of his career be accorded a place among the representative citi- zens of the city and county in which he resides. Hon. Will Holl- ingsworth Arnett, mayor of Kokomo, is a native of Howard county. and the son of Valentine and Caroline Arnett, both parents born in Indiana, the mother in Howard county and the father in the county of Wayne. James H. Arnett, the subject's grandfather, a North Carolinian by birth, emigrated in about 1840 to Wayne county, In- diana, where he resided until 1856, when he removed to Howard county and located near New London, where in addition to farming and stock raising he engaged in the mercantile business. He be- came an influential man in the community and aside from his suc- cess in business and respectable standing among his fellow men possessed certain attributes and peculiarities which made him in many respects quite a unique character, but withal he ever maintained the reputation of an exemplary and eminently praiseworthy citizen. Among his more prominent characteristics were a firmness in behalf of right and justice as he understood those terms and an inordinate fondness for colloquial discussion and debate, to indulge in which he would advocate almost any proposition whether consistent with his views and opinions or not. A member of the society of Friends and deeply read in the Scriptures on religious subjects, nothing af- forded him greater satisfaction than to engage some friend or ac- quaintance in controversy on some obscure or debatable pas- sage of Holy Writ, and such was his skill in maintaining the sound- ness of his position that in the majority of instances his adversary was obliged to acknowledge himself worsted in argument and retire crestfallen from the wordy conflict. As is well known the society
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of Friends early took decided stands against all kinds of secret be- nevolent work and for many years would tolerate no member of these organizations in the church, with the result that many good men who found much to commend in the lodges were obliged to choose between them and the church. Now, while a Friend by birthright and devotedly attached to the faith of his fathers, Mr. Arnett deemed this arbitrary attitude of the church an unjustifiable interference with his personal rights, and having become a member of the Masonic fraternity, he refused pointedly to submit to the dictates of ecclesiastical authority. When the matter of deciding between the church or the lodge was presented to him he unhesitat- ingly chose the latter, and for a number of years was one of the leading members of New London, though still professing fealty to the society of Friends and practicing their principles and precepts in all of his relations with his fellow men. The antagonism be- tween the church and secret organizations become less marked and virulent as time passed and Mr. Arnett was restored to full member- ship. Aside from his eccentricities and fondness for dispute, Mr. Arnett was a man of high character and sterling worth and by his activity and influence did much to advance the prosperity of his community and benefit the people in a moral way. Originally a Whig in politics he afterwards became a pronounced and uncom- promising Republican and so great was his antipathy to human slavery that he disregarded the law protecting the system whenever possible and during the troublous times just preceding and during the war of the Rebellion, assisted many poor black men to escape from their masters and find freedom across the Canadian border. Like others of his kind he maintained a station on the "underground railroad" at his place, where the refugee was assured a welcome and safety until he could be assisted to the next station on the way to freedom, considering his efforts in thus thwarting the designs
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of the officers of the law among the most righteous and praise- worthy acts of his life. In due time this sterling citizen and fear- less advocate of justice and right was gathered to his fathers, leaving to his descendants a worthy name and a character to which the pass- ing years have given additional luster.
Valentine Arnett, son of James H., was reared near New Lon- don. Unlike the former he finds his chief satisfaction in the se- questered ways of life. belonging to that large and eminently re- spectable class that in a quiet and unostentatious manner add so much to the solidity of the politic and give to American citizenship the sturdy character that has made the name and fame of our coun- try known and honored among the nations of the workl. When a young man Mr. Arnett was united in marriage to Caroline Holl- ingsworth, whose family were among the early settlers in the county and vicinity of New London. The only child of this excellent cou- ple to reach maturity was Will Hollingsworth AArnett, the subject of this sketch, whose birth occurred in New London on the 26th of December. 1867. and who passed his early life in and near that vil- lage, removing with his parents to Kokomo in 1871. At the proper age he entered the city schools and after finishing the high school course pursued his studies for one year at Earlham College, pre- vious to the latter experience spending three years in the city of La- Porte. Young Arnett's practical education began at an early age when he became clerk in a dry goods and clothing store in which capacity he continued twenty years, a fact which speaks well for his efficiency and trustworthiness as a salesman, his experience during the time indicated having had much to do in developing habits of industry and fitting him for the more responsible position of trust with which he was afterwards honored.
In the year 1905 Mr. AArnett was appointed by the late mayor Brouse to the office of city comptroller, but soon after entering upon
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the duties of the position he was called to the higher and more re- sponsible post of mayor, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Brouse, which occurred October 2, 1906, just thirty-two days after the beginning of the term.
Mr. Arnett became mayor by right of official succession and taking charge of the office the day following the death of his pred- ecessor, at once announced his intention of carrying out policies and giving the city the economical administration that had been pre- viously planned and to which the people had been looking forward with much more than ordinary interest and expectancy. That he has succeeded in his laudable designs and fully justified the people in their expectations is fully indicated in the present condition of a municipality, practically free from debt and with a credit second to that of no other city within the confines of the entire Union.
Mr. Arnett first addressed himself to the task of reducing the indebtedness of the city, of which forty-two thousand dollars has al- ready been paid, twenty-five thousand dollars of this sum having been paid in May, 1908, leaving Kokomo the only city in Indiana with over five thousand population free of debt. In addition to this laudable showing he has always entered into much more favorable arrangements with certain public utilities than have heretofore ob- tained, the contract for lighting the streets with two hundred arc lights of two thousand candle power at sixty dollars annually against the former contract of seventy dollars. being especially ad- vantageous. In many other respects has he been mindful of the city's prosperity and at all times he has labored zealously to pro- mote the welfare of the people materially and otherwise taking an active interest in all movements and enterprises with these objects in view, thus gaining the unbounded esteem of his fellow men and es- tablishing an honorable reputation as an industrious public-spirited executive, who makes every other consideration subordinate to the
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one desire of governing faithfully and well the municipality of which he is the official head. He is a member and trustee of the League of American Municipalities, and was recently by that body assigned the duty of preparing "A Report on a City Free From Debt." At the present time he is laboring earnestly in behalf of a city hospital without increasing the tax rate, and his efforts in this laudable enterprise are meeting with sufficient encouragement to warrant the presumption that in due time this much needed and greatly desired improvement will become an assured fact.
Mr. Arnett is a stalwart Republican and as an active and p - tential factor in his party, has contributed greatly to its strength in Howard county, the success of the ticket in a number of campaigns both local and general, being largely attributable to his wise counsel and judicious leadership. He has been a delegate to a number of district and state conventions to say nothing of his activity and in- fluence in county and city bodies of this kind. all of which he in- variably attends and in the deliberations of which he takes a leading part. . As chairman of the Howard county Republican central com- mittee, in which position he is now on his second term. he has ren- dered valuable service to the party, not only as an adviser in the planning of campaigns and the making of platforms and directing of policies, but as a worker with the rank and file also where his ability as a leader is duly recognized and appreciated.
Mr. Arnett's energetic nature and public-spirit have led him into various organizations of a fraternal and benevolent character. in all of which he has been honored with important official positions. besides contributing of his means and influence to their stability and success. He is a Mason of high standing, belonging to Blue Lodge. Chapter. Council and Eastern Star, holding the title of past patron in the latter branch of the order, his wife being past matron in the same. He holds membership with the Independent Order of Odd
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Fellows, including the encampment and Rebekah degree, belong's to the Red Men, the tribe of Ben-Hur, the Haymakers, the order of Elks and the Eagles, holding, as already indicated, various official positions in these several societies and ever manifesting a lively in- terest in their welfare.
The domestic life of Mr. Arnett dates from 1901, on April 9th of which year was solemnized his marriage with Mary M. Reiff, of Kokomo, Indiana, the union being blessed with one child, a bright and interesting young gentleman, who bears his four years with the grace and dignity becoming one of his age and standing.
Mrs. Arnett was reared a Methodist and still adheres to that belief. being an esteemed member of the Grace Methodist Episcopal church, and deeply interested in all lines of benevolent and reli- gious work under the auspices of the same. Mr. Arnett is a birth- right member of the society of Friends, has ever been loyal to the pure, simple faith in which he was reared. He keeps in close touch with all matters relating to the church, attends regularly yearly meetings and in all of his relations, business and social, demon- strates by his daily life and conversation, the beauty and value of a life in harmony with the religion of the Nazarene.
Mr. Arnett believes in getting out of life all pleasures and satisfaction there is in it. Consistent with and to this end his time is not all devoted to the monotonous routine and daily grind of business or other duties but at stated seasons he and his wife throw aside dull care and along the northern lakes, in the woods or on the sea shore, close to nature's heart, find the rest and recreation which exhilarates both body and mind and adds so much zest and joy to what might otherwise prove but a hum-drum existence. In the social life of their home city they are highly esteemed, moving as they do in the best social circles and contributing to the advance- ment of various interests for the intellectual improvement and moral good of their friends and associates.
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JOHN ARTHUR KAUTZ.
John Arthur Kautz was born in Wabash county, Indiana, Sep- tember 26, 1860, his parents being Henry Kautz and Eliza ( Baker) Kautz. His father was a native of Maryland and his mother of Ohio. They came to Wabash county with their parents in an early day and married there. The father of the subject was a merchant at Andrews. Indiana, and at present he is living retired at that place. His wife, mother of the subject, died at Andrews, March 23. 1908. They were the parents of three children, two daughters and our subject. The sisters of the subject are Mary, the oldest of the fam- ily and the wife of John H. King, of Peru, Indiana; Addie, the youngest of the family, is the wife of James L. Flinn, and they re- side at Montpelier. Ohio.
His boyhood was spent at Andrews, Huntington county, In- diana, whither his parents had removed in 1865. He was educated in the public schools, graduating from the high school of that town. He attended the North Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso, In- diana, two summers, teaching school in the winter. At the age of twenty he entered the freshman class at Butler College. Indianapo- lis, from which he graduated four years later. In the succeeding year he was given the degree of Master of Arts by his alma mater. his post-graduate reading being a special course in English lit- erature.
On May 9. 1887, Mr. Kautz, in partnership with Mr. H. E. McMonigal, purchased the Kokomo Tribune. He came immedi- ately to this city and entered upon the conduct of the paper. On July 1, 1897, he purchased his partner's interest in the Tribune and has since been sole owner of the property and has had conduct of it in all its departments.
In the twenty-one years during which Mr. Kautz has had con-
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trol of the Kokomo Tribune the paper has enjoyed uninterrupted prosperity and has advanced to a position of large influence, not only in its own field but throughout the ninth congressional district of Indiana. It is known far and wide throughout the state as an unusually prosperous and influential journal. The paper had its beginning in the town of New London, in western Howard county, the first issue being under date of July 12, 1848. The name of the paper then was the Pioneer, one entirely fitting, as it was one of the earliest publications of this territory. New London was at that time the county seat and the county's most important town. Later Kokomo was made the county seat and the Pioneer, transferred to Kokomo, became the Tribune. It continued as a weekly paper until September 3. 1883. when the daily edition was started. Two edi- tions are published daily, the farmers' rural mail edition at 7:30 in the morning and the city edition at 4 in the evening.
Mr. Kautz has been honored with the presidency of the Re- publican Editorial Association of Indiana, has been a delegate a number of times to the National Editorial Association and also to the Republican National Editorial Association. He served as post- master on the appointment of President Roosevelt, and was a dele- gate to the Republican national convention at Chicago, June 16. 1908.
He is a member of the Main Street Christian church, a Knight Templar, an Elk and a member of the Kokomo Country Club and the Kokomo Automobile Club. He has always taken a lively in- terest in public education and while a member of the city school board he made a visit to Andrew Carnegie and interested that phi- lanthropist in the donation he afterwards made endowing the Ko- komo Carnegie Library. He served for a time as a member of the board of trustees of Butler College, his alma mater.
Our subject was married in 1886 at Wabash. Indiana, to Inez
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Gillen, a native of that place and the daughter of Dr. H. H. and Mary ( Cartmell) Gillen, natives of Kentucky and early settlers of Indiana. The subject and wife are the parents of four daughters, Bernice, Cordelia, Dorothy and Kathryn, all bright and winsome.
REV. PHILIP McDADE.
The writer of biography, dealing with the personal history of men engaged in the various affairs of everyday life, occasionally finds a subject whose record commands exceptional interest and ad- miration and especially is this true when he has achieved more than ordinary success or made his influence felt as a leader of thought and a benefactor of his kind. The subject of this review is emi- nently of that class who earn the indisputable right to rank in the van of the army of progressive men and by reason of a long and strenuous career devoted to the good of his fellows and to the dis- semination of the Gospel of peace throughout the world he occupies a position of wide influence and has made a name which will long live in the hearts and affections of the people.
He is not only a brave and valiant soldier under the white ban- ner of the King of Peace but rendered gallant service in a more ma- terial warfare for when treason was rife and the safety of the gov- ernment threatened, he, like thousands of other loyal sons of the North, unhesitatingly joined the forces of the national Union and in many campaigns and in not a few bloody fields of conflict, nobly and faithfully bore his part in upholding the honor of his country's flag until rebellion lay groveling with gaping wounds dealt by his and other strong and sturdy hands.
Philip McDade is a native of Washington county, Indiana, and
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seventh of a family of eight children whose parents, William and Nancy ( Fiddler ) McDade, were born in the states of Maryland and Kentucky, respectively. The father went to Kentucky when a young man and was married in Bullitt county, that state, where he lived during the balance of his lifetime. His widow came to Indiana in an early day and figured in the pioneer history of Owen and of Mor- gan counties. She is remembered as a most excellent and praise- worthy woman and for many years a pious and highly esteemed member of the Baptist church. She died in the latter county. The children who constituted the family of this respected couple were Elizabeth, William, Matilda, Malinda, Joseph, Reuben, Philip and Mary, the majority of whom have long been sleeping the sleep of the just.
Philip McDade, whose birth occurred on the 20th day of Sep- tember. 1826, was early left an orphan from which time on he was obliged to make his own way in his native county, and during a cou- ple of months each year he was permitted to attend the subscription schools of the county, devoting the greater part of the time, how- ever, to hard work in the fields. After the death of his mother he labored by the month as a farm hand and while thus engaged man- aged to increase his scholastic knowledge by attending during win- ter seasons the public schools, which in the meantime had been es- tablished in Morgan county, proving an inestimable boon to the youth of the country, especially those who, like the subject, desired to advance in their studies and make the most of life's opportunities. By industry and economy young McDade succeeded in accumulating a sufficient sum of money to enable him, when a young man, to en- gage in business at the town of Normanda, in Tipton county, where he opened in 1855. a general store which soon gained a fairly suc- cessful patronage.
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