USA > Indiana > Randolph County > History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships > Part 156
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BUSINESS IN DETAIL.
We give a somewhat more detailed statement of some of the business of the city, chiefly by describing the establishments themselves.
There are several fine business blocks, among which are Bowers & Co's. large three-story brick, Kirschbaum & Cos., large three-story brick, Smith Bros.', large three-story brick, Opera Block, large three-story brick, and others.
There are now many splendid residences; among them are those of Charles W. Pierce, C. S. Hardy, W. H. Anderson, E. L. Anderson, Charles S. Hook, North Howard street; Hon. N. Cad- wallader, William Harris, Pearl street; W. K. Smith, E. H. Turpen, Columbia street; J. D. Smith, South Columbia street; Gov. I. P. Gray, Oak street, and many others. Robert B. Mc- Kee and Charles T. Tritt are now (June, 1882) erecting fine residences on North Howard.
A very large amount of business is done in Union City for the population of the place. The town is especially noted for the extent of its trade in lumber and wood-work in general, in dry goods and clothing, etc., and in eggs, ponltry and butter. In its lumber trade, it surpasses every interior town in Indiana; in the last point, very few towns in the Nation can equal it, while its dry goods stores, specially those of Messrs. Bowers and Kirschbaum, do an immense business. There are in the town (Indiana and Ohio) twelve or more establishments dealing in lumber and wood in various ways: Peter Kuntz all kinds-saw- mill, planes, door, sash, etc., 200 machines, with building, fixt- ures and general hardware. He handled in 1879 2,800 car loads of lumber, much of his trade being wholesale. Hundreds of car loads annually are sent by him directly from the great lumber centers to their various destinations. His trade embraces the whole Mississippi Valley from Northern Michigan to the forest near the Gulf of Mexico. He employs fifty to sixty bands, and owns machinery enough to carry on his extensive works.
Witham & Anderson also have an extensive and flourishing lumber and hardware establishment, with abundant machinery for preparing lumber in general .. They employ thirty or forty hands, and carry on a prosperous and increasing business.
Samuel L. Carter has a saw mill and turning machinery, etc., handling many thousand feet of hard lumber. He employs about twenty hands, and does a large business (Ohio side).
J. T. Hartzell has had a saw mill and turning establishment, wagon factory, etc., and he also has dealt extensively in hard wood lumber chiefly (Ohio side). Besides this, he has sold tin, stoves and hardware, sewing machines, pumps, wagons, carriages, lightning rods, agricultural implements, machinery, etc. (Indiana side). During 1881, he removed much of his business to Greenville, Ohio. In the spring of 1882, he sold out his tinware and stoves and closed out his hardware.
Wiggim & Sons have a stave factory, employing many hands (Ohio side).
Hook Bros. have a tub and pail factory, employing thirty hands (Ohio side).
John Koons has a furniture factory, employing several hands (Ohio side).
Ross & Prior have a carriage factory, employing ten hands, and turning out a large amount of excellent work.
Lambert & Son have a turning establishment, doing all kinds of turning work for the wholesale market (Ohio side).
There are yet two other lumber firms, dealing chiefly in hard- wood lumber and walnut and poplar, the home product of the re- gion. One lately formed, Jones, Ebbert & Benner, handles a very large amount of hard wood lumber gathered from the re- gion. Fisher deals principally in hickory. There are also two other factories in town. In these establishments a very large aggregate of business is transacted in wood and lumber. All together they handle many thousand dollars' worth and millions
on millions of feet of lumber and wood in all their forms --- house-furnishing, wagons, neck-yokes, single trees, tongues, spokes, thills, etc., etc. Some years ago, much lumber in the shape of whole logs was shipped directly to Europe.
The whole lumber and wood trade of Union City gives em- ployment to several hundred men. As a single specimen we append the following statement:
Number of logs brought to Union City during the winter of 1880-81 up to February 10-J. W. Lambert, 750; S. L. Carter, 2,000; John Koons, 150; Peter Kuntz, 8,400; Jones, Bonner & Co., 6,000; J. H Snooks, 200; A. B. Fisher, 700; J. R. Jackson, 140; J. T. Hartzell, 6,000; total, 24,340. Many of the logs were very large. At an average of 300 feet for each log the to- tal amount will be 7,302,000 feet.
Mr. Lambert has bought besides 120,000 butts. Hook & Co. have purchased large amounts of tub and pail timber. Wiggim & Co. have bought stave timber. All together the lumber and wood trade is very great.
Mr. John Glunt brought to Union City a single log contain- ing 1,500 feet of lumber-the king of the market. Solomon Hartman from four ash trees cut from one acre of ground mar- keted logs enough to bring him $78, and he hauled elm logs enough in a single day to bring $4.50. The amount paid out by the log and timber dealers in this town during the winter of 1880-81 was very great. At an average of $1.25 per hundred, and it was probably more than that, the sum paid for logs alone would be over $90,000. The other timber bought in town from the farmers in the surrounding region will swell the amount to more than $100,000-a fine sum, the power of which will make itself felt in a quickened impulse to business of all kinds during the year to come.
The egg, butter and poultry business has grown in the hands of the energetic firms who carry it on to very large propor- tions. The two firms, Turpen & Harris and John S. Starbuck, employ jointly more than forty hands, and probably $1,000,000 per year. Their business extends over a large portion of the country. It is perfectly wonderful how a small town like Union City can command such a trade in lumber and wood and in the egg and poultry business as the men engaged therein have at- tained. This whole matter shows in a striking manner what ac- tivity and enterprise when wisely and skillfully directed can ac- complish. Besides these chief industries of the place, there are others of profit and importance, which we cannot stop to de- scribe at large. The business of Union City may be stated as follows: Two grist mills, one of which, D. H. Reeder (now Converse & Co.), proprietor, employs the patent process; has four run of buhrs, and a capacity of 100 barrels per day; two corn mills, turning out a large amount of meal and feed daily; three brick yards, making yearly many hundred thousand brick. and employing many hands; one tile factory, making 100,000 tile with fifteen hands; four grain buyers' handling yearly hundreds of thousands of bushels. One agricultural association, two agricult- ural implement houses, two artists, eleven attorneys, four baker- ies, two banks, one band association, six barber shops, seven blacksmith shops, several boarding houses. one bookseller, three boot and shoe stores, three brick yards, five building and loan associations, two carriage factories, two cemeteries. two cigar factories, three clothing stores, two coal dealers, two cooper shops, two corn crackers, seven churches, three dentists, one dramatic association, nine draymen, seven dress-maker shops, three drug stores, three dry goods stores, 700 dwellings, three egg and poultry houses, one engine and hose company, one elec- tric light company (closed), two express offices, one fair ground, one flax mill, two foundries, four furniture establishments, five grain-buyers, four gardeners, two grist mills, sixteen groceries. one gunsmith, one handle factory, three hardware stores, five harness shops, one heat fender company, five hotels, two insur- ance companies, two ice dealers, three jewelers, one junk shop (gone), two lime dealers, four livery stables, seven lodges, two loan brokers, eleven lumber dealers, two machine shops, two marble deal- ers, eight marriage dowry associations (dead), four meat markets, two milkmen, seven millinery stores, two nurseries, two newsmen, two organ dealers, two paint shops, two parks, two passenger de-
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444
HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.
pots, four peddlers and hucksters. two photographers, eighteen physicians, one pipe, flue and fire brick store, two plumbers, one post office, three printing offices, one public hall. five restau- rants, four real estate agents, three railroads, several saloons (Ohio side). five saw-mills, four schoolhouses, two sewing ma- chine establishments, eight shoe shops, one stave factory, one stone dealer, three stove stores, four tailor shops, one tele- phone exchange, two telegraph offices, one tile factory, three tin stores, two tobacconists, one tub and pail factory, three undertakers, two wagon-makers, one water works, several weavers, three wood dealors and three wool dealers. There is the usual complement of draymen, wagoners, masons, carpen- ters, sawyers, dress-makers, shoe-makers, plasterers, whitewash- ers and laborers of all kinds to supply the constant and occa- sional needs of so many people dwelling in the city and the re- gion.
BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS, ETC.
Attorneys-O. A. Baker moved to Greenville, Ohio; S. R. Bell, 1875; Bayard S. Gray, 1877 (removed to Portland. Jay County); Isaac P. Gray, 1868; Pierre Gray, 1872; L. D. Lam- bert, 1868; Webster Lambert, 1879: John W. Williams, 1881; Cyrus Woodbury, 1878; E. F. Owen, Ohio; C. T. Pickett, Ohio; J. B. Ross, 1875; Theodore Shockney, 1878; S. M. Whitten, 1876.
Agricultural implements-Buffington & Haney, R. E. Fork- ner (removed to Winchester, Ind., ) Knight, Ohio.
Artist-G. W. Smith.
Bakers-Messrs. Clark. Eberenz, Rodman. Stumpff.
Banks -- Commercial. Citizens.
Band Association.
Barber shops-Messrs. Clevenger, Branham, Lingle, Okey, Schronz, Smith.
Blacksmith shops-Anderson. Keller. Keller, Gimble, Gist, Gist. Cox.
Boarding houses-Dean. Komp, Fulghum, Baker.
Bookseller-Swain & Platt.
Boot and shoe stores --- Messrs. Bunger & Sutton, Gordon & Thomas, William Smith, Newbern.
Brick yards-Bothurst, Garrett, Snook.
Building and Loan Associations-B. Masslich. Secretary. Carriage factories-Ross Starbuck. Tritt & Gray.
Cemeteries-Catholic, Union City.
Cigar factories -- Hommowun.
Clergymen -- Messrs. Bartholomew. Brandon. Carter. Green- man, Keister, Michaelis, Oldfield. Quinlan, Reynolds, Ritenour, Sloan, Shaw, Stevens, Tucker, Vinson, Vinson.
Carpenters -- Bemis, Cable, Davis, Frey, Fletcher, Grosants, Hoke. Hoke, Keifer, Lipp, Pogue, Taylor, Wolf.
Clay dealer-Knapp.
Coal dealers -Starbuck, Fisher.
Coopers -Messrs. Mitchell
Dentists --- Cowdery, Lefevre, Stahl.
Draymen -Messrs. Campbell, Bashaw. Cairo, Hill. Bennett, McKenzie, Twissell. Van Tilberg, etc.
Druggists-Messrs. Hardy, Starbuck & Son.
Dry goods-Messrs. Bowers & Bro., Kirschbaum & Co., Kizer & Mandshein. Moore, Shaw, Downing and Reger.
Egg packers -Messrs. Starbuck. Turpen & Harris, Simpkins. Electric Light Company-Messrs. Woolley & Fisher (discon- tinned).
Express Agents-Messrs. Nivison, Morrow.
Foundry-Smith Bros., Patchell.
Furniture -Messrs. Koons, Wright, Roed. Meanck. Flax Mill -- Frank.
Grain dealers-Mossrs. Alexander & Worth, Lambert Bros., Willey, Wellborn & Bro .. George W. Wiggs, C. W. Pierce. Grist mills-Converse & Co., Weimar.
Grocers-Turpen & Harris, Stumpff, Griffis & Vinson, Hntchi- inson. Ladd. Kennedy, Masslich & Shricker, Hanlan, Moon, Stout & Richards, Mackey & Keister, Stewart & Wright, Jones Bros., Carson. Lanter, Gist & Newbern, Walden, Ruff (Ohio). Knight (Ohio), Probasco (Ohio, Clapp (Ohio). Butterfield, Sutton & Law, Reeves & Bartholomew.
Gunsmith-Marker.
Gardeners-Buckingham, Wilkerson and others.
Hardware-Hartzell, Kerr, Jaqua & Co., Witham & Anderson. Harness-makers-Messrs. Eisenhour. Harshman, Lambert. Heat fender establishment begun in 1882.
Hotels-Branham, Orr, Coppy Smith, Baker, Winslow.
Insurance-Jackson, Schuyler, Lambert, Shockney & Wood-
bury, Heck, Pierce, Butcher, Sutton, Ritenour, Cadwallader, etc. JJewelers-Best, Hoke, Smith.
Junk shop-Samuel & Siglowsky (moved away).
Laundrymen-Mr. Hop Key and partner, Chinese (gone).
Lime dealers-Messrs. Anderson, Fisher.
Liverymen-Messrs. Butterfield, Coppy Smith, Adams, Prior, Alexander.
Loan brokers-Messrs. Jackson, Stockdale.
Lumber dealers-Messrs. Carter, Hartzell, Koons, Kuntz, Lambert Bros., Jones, Benner & Ebert, Fisher, Hook Bros., Wiggim & Co., Witham & Anderson, Kuntz & Willson.
Marble dealers-Messrs. Sipe, Stoner.
Millers-Converse, Weimar, etc.
Milliners-Ladies Cowdery, Hill, Kerr. Miranda, Tucker, Vinson, Wilson, Yergin.
Milkmen-Messrs. Frank Hunt, Peter Cobcy.
Newsmen-Messrs. Swain & Platt, Bartholomew.
Nurseries-Messrs. Buckingham.
Organ dealers-Lewis Sutton, Worthington.
Passenger agents-Messrs Johnson, Taylor, Bragg.
Photographers-Messrs. Willson, Mote.
Physicians-Messrs. Ferguson, Reeves. Harrison, Commons, Evans, Yergin, Weimar. Williamson, Parsons, McFarland, Fahne- stock. Green, Grabill. Thompson, Leatherman.
Pipe clay dealers-Knapp.
Plumbers-Messrs. Knapp, Smith.
Postmaster -A. B. Cooper.
Printing offices-Eagle, Bentley Masslich; Times, George W. Patchell: Plaindealer, Stephen M. Wentworth (sold out); News, stock company, Theodore Shockney, editor (sold out).
Railroad agents-Messrs. Etmire, Johnson, McMahan, Mitch- ell, Taylor, Murray.
Restaurants -Messrs. Branham, Clark, Rodman, Lenox.
Sewing machine agents-Messrs. Worthington, Heck.
Shoc-makers-Messrs. Eisenman, Johnson, Grahs, Kingsley, Kirsch, Loehr (Ohio), Schaknat, Vinson (Ohio).
Stone dealers -Bowen & Cadwallader, Jackson.
Stove dealers -Messrs. Hartzell (sold), Kerr, Shank, Shugars Bros.
Tailors-Messrs. Grahs, Thokey.
Tinners-Messrs. Hartzell (sold out), Kerr, Shank, Sugars & Bro.
Tobacconist-Hommowun and others.
Tile-maker-Snook.
Undertakers-Messrs. Koons, Snell (sold out), Wright, Wey- mire.
Wagon-makers-Messrs. Romiser, Keller, Greener, Hartzell. Weavers-Ladies Converse, Harlau, etc.
Wood dealers- Messrs. Bunger & Sutton, Peter Kuntz, Fisher.
Wool dealers-Bowers & Bro., Kirschbaum & Co., Shaw, Downing and Reger.
BUSINESS --- CONTINUED.
We give additional information as to various matters of in- torest in connection with the city in the succeeding article, in alphabetical order.
NOTE. - For churches, banks, insurance, clergymen, schools, attorneys, physicians, the press, etc., see "General Articles" under each head.
AMUSEMENTS.
For years traveling troupes of various kinds-musical, the- atrical, etc. - have visited the town, receiving fair and sometimes strong patronage. During the winter of 1880-81, the opera hall was fitted up for a skating rink, and recreation of an active kind was furnished to such as desired it. Occasional concerts have been held, sometimes securing enthusiastic support.
445
WAYNE TOWNSHIP.
Throughout the season of 1881-82, a greatly increased patron- age has been afforded to performing companies of various sorts, the opera hall being occupied in this way during a large part of the winter.
BANKS.
[See under the head of miscellany. ]
CARRIAGE-MAKING.
In the fall of 1881, a new company was organized with a capital of $10,000, for carriage-making, styled the Union City Carriage Company. The partners are James Starbuck, Pierre Gray and Charles G. Tritt, three active young business men, who have been brought up in Union City, and who have the dis- position and the "grit" to prove in the homes of their childhood and amid the haunts of their youth that they have in them the stuff that men are made of. The firm is not yet under full head- way, but they begin well, and in the spring of 1882 expect to have in their employment thirty-five hands. The enterprise will add one more to the establishments that have grown up in Union City to add to the activity and the wealth of the town. The work which they have completed and offered to the public finds ready and speedy sale, and the firm are encouraged to proceed with their praiseworthy enterprise.
CARRIAGE WORKS, G. W. ROSS. [See biography of G. W. Ross. ]
DENTISTRY.
Messrs. Cowdery & Lefevre are dentists of Jong standing in their profession. D. Cowdery has been a resident of Union City for many years, and Dr. Lefevre for a shorter time. We have no special biography of these gentlemen and no definite account of their business in the city and vicinity, but they are men of prominence in their profession, and command their full share of the patronage afforded to the department to which they are de- voted. Dr. Cowdery has lately obtained authority to use "vital- ized air" in the extraction of teeth and the performance of dental operations in general, which is said to be of great advantage in such matters.
ELECTRIC LIGHT AND MOTOR COMPANY, WOOLLEY & FISHER.
These works began their operations January, 1881, employ- ing now fifteen hands, with the expectation of an enlargement of the force to fifty or even more. Mr. Woolley has great ingenuity as an inventor, and has devoted much of his thought to electric force and machinery for producing and applying it.
Mr. Woolley has furnished the genius and Mr. Fisher the money, and the two combined have expended $20,000 in the works in question. They expect to construct (and are now do- ing so) electric light apparatus, both for towns and large es- tablishments and for general household use. The large lights are to be run by steam or other power; the smaller ones by an electric battery. It is also a part of the business of this firm to make electric motors for light work, such as to propel sewing ma- chines, etc. These proprietors, in February, 1881, made an ex- hibition of an electric light on the occasion of a ball at the opera house in Union City, producing for eight hours a light equal to the power of 6,000 candles, or the full light of the sun, at a cost besides the running expenses, of 16 cents. Where the power is furnished by steam, as in factories, etc., the expense will be merely nominal. The things which they are making and ex- pecting to be able to produce are solely the invention of Mr. Woolley, he having already taken ont several important patents in this country, and his intention being, if he has not already done so, to secure patents in the leading countries of Europe, protecting these creations of his fertile brain.
The light which their generators produce is soft, equable and wonderfully clear and full, and they are confident that the light can be furnished by means of their generators at a cost of only one third that of ordinary coal oil lamps. They have a small engine weighing only thirty-nine ounces with a capacity of 1,000 pounds per foot per minute, which is indeed a "little giant," and the most powerful machine of its size and weight in the world. Everything about their establishment shows neatness,
orderliness and thorough mastery of business, and the financial partner is, as doubtless is also the other, a genteel, modest, unas- suming, but intelligent and energetic gentleman, intent on busi- ness, and knowing full well how to manage and control it for purposes of use and profit.
July, 1882-Their business has not yet commanded the suc- cess for which the projectors supposed they had good reason to. hope and to expect, and the lack of means seems likely to hamper their efforts. In fact, the establishment is now (September, 1882), closed, and their buildings have been sold to a new firm, estab- lished for carrying on a new and totally different business, viz., to the Heat Fender Company, lately formed in Union City.
EXPRESS OFFICE.
The United States Express office was established at the com- mencement of business on the railroads centering in the town. Some of the agents have been Robert Johnson, Charles William- son, W. W. Vance, Henry Kitzelman. J. W. Gillies, W. W. Nivi- son and perhaps others. The last named is the present incum- bent. He seems to be an energetic, faithful, reliable, accom- modating public servant, conducting the business of the office on the true principle, that the duty of a public official is to render the utmost possible service to the community in the most pleas- ant and agreeable way. The express office is, in fact, a most wonderful advantage to the business public and to the people at large, and such officials as our worthy friend Nivison make us vividly realize that interesting fact.
The Merchants Union Express Company was established at Union City for a time, but that company went down.
The business of the express company at this point is very large. The local business is extensive, but the transfer is ten times as great. Five railroad tracks center here, and : several hack and mail routes besides. Two of the three lines are among the most important routes in the United States .. At pres- ent, sixteen express trains pass this office every twenty-four hours, carrying sixteen messengers in charge of the business of the company on these trains. It is an interesting fact that during the whole twenty-seven years of business not a cent of loss of any kind by robbing or otherwise has ever been suffered by the public at this office. Such a fact speaks volumes for the general faithfulness with which the great companies of the coun- try perform their duties and discharge their obligations to the people whose servants they are.
There are several express companies in the United States, the chief of which are: Adams, Wells, Fargo & Co., American, United States. There are some others, but they are of limite.l extent.
The general business of the country is divided among the various companies by mutual arrangement, generally no two companies operate on the same road, though to this rule there are several exceptions.
The United States Express does business mostly as follows: Southern New York, Northwestern Pennsylvania, Northern Ohio, Southern Michigan, Northern Indiana and Illinois, South- ern Wisconsin, parts of Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas.
The companies overlap over each other considerably as to terri- tory, and no brief description can set the matter forth fully in detail. The express companies, as they have grown up within the last thirty or forty years, are in truth a grand public con -- venience, almost beyond conception. How the public could do without them is not easy to see.
FLAX MILL, J. L. FRANK.
This establishment was built in 1869 by Mr. Mathers for a bagging factory. It was operated thus for some four years, when the enterprise failed, and the bagging factory building was sold, and transformed into a grist mill. In 1876, Codding- ton & Bowen and the Withams revived the flax mill, running it one year, and Coddington & Bowen two years till the spring of 1880. At that time, John L. Frank purchased the works, and handled the business during the fall of 1880. If there were an abundant supply within reach, 1,500 tons of raw material could be manufactured. Only 570 tons, however, were obtained, which were worked up in about one hundred days. The flax straw is
446
HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.
spread, rotted, stacked, and at length made into tow to be spun into bagging. Their market is at Lima, Ohio, Peru, Ind., St. Louis, Mo., and elsewhere. The price used to be $80 to $90 per ton of lint, but the free admission of jute from abroad lowers the price of flax material and that of all its products being possibly an advantage to the consumer, but otherwise to the manufacturer and the producer. The first year, about seven hundred tons were purchased and worked at from $6 to $8 per ton of straw. Last year (1880), the price of straw was $4.50 per ton; in 1881, 84. In 1882, Mr. Frank, the proprietor, offered $5 to $5.50 for good, cloan, tramped straw, and a smaller price for machine thrashed, since tramping by horses greatly improved the ma- terial.
FOUNDRY.
Many years ago a foundry was established in Union City, Ohio, and carried on for some time by Alexander White. The works were discontinued, however, and for a considerable space of time Union City was without anything of the kind. But in 1874, the Smith brothers set up their business near the town, as de- scribed in the succeeding statement.
A new foundry was established in 1882, which is now in op- eration, of which we have not obtained a particular account, only that it is owned by Col Patcheil, an active and worthy citi- zen of the town.
MACHINE SHOP, SMITH BROS.
Three brothers, William P., James and John Smith. came from Scotland, the former in 1866, and the two latter in 1872. William learned his business in Scotland, and the other two in this county. William carried on his business for three years at Providence, R. I. In 1874, the brothers set up their works at Union City, Ind., and their business and their success have been alike increasing, and with gratifying rapidity and certainty. At first they had hardly work for themselves: now they employ con- stantly eight hands, with the fair prospect of a still larger growth in the near future. Their business consists in the mak- ing and repairing of machinery in general. They construct steam engines, steam pumps and many other things. Their trade ex- tends throughout several counties, to Urbana, Hamilton and elsewhere. They intend before long to establish a foundry, for which they have the building already prepared. The Sinith brothers are, like most of the business men of Union City, ac- tive and energetic, putting their own hands to the wheel, and counting all the time for full mon at the business which they control. In politics they are Republican.
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