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 63

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman
Number of Pages: 664

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 63

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SORGHUM.

Some twenty years ago, a new industry arose in the United States -- the raising of cane of various sorts for sirup. The kind first raised was imported from China to France, and from France through our Patent Office to this country. Many kinds, the Chinese, or Sorghum, the African, or Imphee, and still other varieties have been cultivated with large success through most of the Middle and Western States. The product amounts to many million gallons of sirup in the United States. Many attempts have been made to manufacture sugar from the Northern cane, but with only partial success. The molasses product from sor- ghum, etc., enters little into the general national market for quo- tation at the great centers; yet the farming population raise and use it largely. At first, each producer undertook to have a mill, and make his own cane into sugar or sirup. Wooden mills were first employed to crush the caves, and, though less rapidity was attained than by the iron mills now in vogue, yet it is the gen- eral and probably the correct opinion that the wooden mills pro- duced a better article of sirup than is made with the other sort, The sorghum is raised commonly in small quantities, in patches of a quarter or a half an acre, chiefly for home consumption, though not a little is sold, also, to parties who raise none. Rau- dolph began the raising of sorghum and the kindred canes early, and large amounts have been produced from year to year. Lat- terly, mills have been established at convenient points, and one mill answers for a large region; 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 gallons are no uncommon quantities to be made by a single mill. Farmers haul their cane sometimes six or eight miles to be crushed. When made properly, this sorghum sirup is very nice and palatable, and many like it better than they do the New Orleans article. The general custom in making the sirup is to do it "upon shares." taking two gallons to every five, eleven pounds being considered a gallon; or, for cash, an amount vary- ing from 15 to 20 cents per gallon.

The improvements in utensils and methods have been such that the product is now a very superior article, bright, clear, sweet and every way adapted for general, nay, for universal use.

Many mills have been in operation in Randolph County for

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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

many years, but general statistics are not available, and guess work would add nothing, and might start some on a false seent, and serve simply to perplex them, with no good result. Among the owners of mills for sorghum have been Mr. Royer and Mr. Bunch, in the southern part of Greensfork Township, us also Mr. Weiss, near Grangerville, Mr. Alexander, north of Spartanshurg. etc. Mr. Royer and Mr. Bunch are old hands at the Imsiness, and succeed in making a very splendid product. Probaby the rest make as good. A Mr. Fulghum was very noted a few years ago for the wonderful sorghum, bright, heavy, clear, pure, which was produced at his mill, but he has left the township, and only the memory of his splendid production remains. Mr. Fulghum lived in Greensfork, sontheast of Spartansburg. Some think the "sorghum culture" has declined within two or three years past. We cannot judge how the fact may be as to the matter.

Our statistics upon this matter are but meager, concerning the manufacture referred to in this article. We have no general information as to the county at large. We only know that sor- ghum, etc., is grown, and, of course, manufactured throughout its whole extent, but definite details we are unable at present to furnish.

FENCING.

An immense, almost an inconceivable, amount of labor has been expended by the farmers of Randolph County during the sixty-eight years of their settlement therein, in fencing their cul- tivated land. From the beginning, untold mantities of the finest, grandest trees-oak, ash, hickory, and even walnut and what not-have every year been felled remorsolessly to the ground, and, by the hardest and severest toil, been severed into rails to be piled up into huge fences, eight, ten and even twelve rails high, that no beasts, and scarcely man himself, could surmount. And quite well have those old-time fenees served their purpose. A son of one of the earliest pioneers, himself an enterprising farmer, states that last spring (1881) he reset a fence laid by his father more than sixty years ago, that had never before been dis- turbed since first the rails were laid into the "worm," and that he found many of the walnut rails still sound and firmu.

But, oh! the mauling and pounding und chopping and lifting and tugging for sixty years past, that the farmers of Randolph have accomplished, in order to make and repair and renew those same rail fences. Few, perhaps none, have any idea of the amount of such materials and such structures in the county and in the country at large, and of their amazing cost in labor or in money, or in both. To fence Randolph County in fields of ten acres each, with roads one mile apart, would take about 7,500 miles of fence, which, at twenty rails to the rod, will require 48,000,000 rails, which, at $30 per 1,000, would cost about $1,- 500,000; or, to make post and board fence at $1.60 per rod, the cost would be $3,840,000- equal to the value of 96,000 acres at $40 per acre! It is evident, that, with the exhaustion of the timber, sources of fencing material, a necessity is arising for find- ing some other means of creating or renewing fences .. Only two methods have thus far been suggested or practiced, viz .. by live hedges and by iron. The first is unsuitable for general use for several reasons, and so is the latter. What will be done in the future is hard to tell. Some hedges have been set and have grown to be suitable for fence, and a small amount of fence has been made of iron wire, while some iron fence has been constructed in cities and villages. Very lately, an idea has arisen that posts, and possibly rails, may be cheaply manufactured of artificial stone by each farmer at home. If so, the matter will be of in- calculable advantage to the country. The manufacture of stone has indeed long been an assured fact. The question whether it can be done so easily and so cheaply as to enable each farmer to make his own farm fencing material has not yet been determined. Experiments with this in view are in progress, and the hope is that in the near future, the manufacture of stone posts, rails, etc., by each land-owner upon his own premises will have be- come an accomplished fact. Barbed wire seems to be coming into extensive use in many regions of the country; yet there are very serious objections to its employment for general fencing purposes, one of which is the great danger of damage to stock from running against its sharp and jagged points, which fact

not seldom occurs. The manufacturers are trying to obviate this difficulty by making the points less sharp and also by having it of n whitish color so as to be readily soon; still, it remains true that "barbed wire fence" is a nuisance and onght not to be em- ployed.

Sedgwick Fence. - - Within a short time past, a new kind of fonee, consisting of woven wire, has been invented by Messrs. Sedgwick, late of West River Township, Randolph County, and the material is manufactured in great quantities at Richmond. Ind., and the sale of it has become very extensive and is con- stantly increasing. The fence is light, cheap, tasteful, beautiful, safe and durable, and would seem to be admirably adapted to its intended purpose; and it may prove, at least, a most important factor toward accomplishing the solution of the great and 'perplexing fence problem in this Western world. Lot ns hope so, indeed, since this vast problem stands well-nigh like the won- drous Sphinx on the Egyptian sands, ready to devour whatever unhappy wight shail fail to answer the question propounded to his vexed and troubled sonl.

DITCHES.

For more than fifty years within the bounds of Randolph. such a thing as a ditch for drainage made by public anthority had not been heard of, much less been seen or known. However, the necessity of ditches became apparent, and the Legislature provided a way for their construction, and in due time the good work was begnn in Randolph. The first ditch that appears on the Commissioners' records, so far as discovered, was petitioned for by Henry Handschy, in the northeast part of Jackson Town- ship, to drain a pond to the Mississinewa by a ditch seventy rods long.

The petition was acted on March 13, 1868, and John B. Clapp, Joseph Komp and David S. Harker were appointed Assess- ors, according to the law of the case provided. September, USGS, John W. Griffis petitioned for a ditch 3,960 feet in length, through lands of Griffis, Holland and Shaffer. December, 1868, Jesse and Epaminondas Oakey asked for a ditch 2,957 feet long through landIs of Oakey, Moorman, Thompson and Shoemake. Since that time, many ditches have been asked for and granted and made, vastly improving the condition of the lands of the county, making tracts that had been worthless from excess of water to become the finest and most fertile lands in the whole region. There is a ditch running west of Spartansburg. several miles long.

The longest ditch in the county thus far ordered is one drain- ing the swamps of the "Dismal." located June, 1880. The ditches that have been made up to this time are chiefly in White River, Greensfork, Wayne, Jackson, Monroe and Ward. Six- teen ditches wore applied for from July, 1866, to March, 1874. Twelve ditches were asked for from March, 1880, to August, 1881.

In connection with public ditches, the subject of tile-draining may be considered, which has grown np from a thing unknown to be a vast industry, employing multitudes of hands and costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. but richly worth all it costs, and destined to become still more vast and wonderful in amount and importance and value.

TILE MAKING.

The growth of this business in this county has been wonder- ful. In 1856, the first drain-tile ever made in the State of In- diana was made at Elisha Martin's brick-yard, south of Winches- ter. Mr. Martin's son, John K., a lad of nineteen, getting sight of half a tile, set to work, constructed a mold himself, made 200 rods of tile, by hand, of course, and burnt them in his father's brick-kiln. Now. in Randolph County alone, there are at least seventeen tile factories, turning out, in the aggregate, it may be, 100.000 rods of tile annually of various sizes. One of the fae. tories, perhaps no more extensive than the rest, burns twenty kilns in a year. of 400 rods each, or 8,000 rods annually. At this rate, seventeen kilns would make 136,000 rods a year. Evi- dently, immense numbers are being used. A little calculation will show that tile-drains across the entire county, thirty rods apart, would require abont a million and a half of rods of tile, which, at the rate now furnished, would be put in in about twelve years.

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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

The tile factories are located as follows: Parker, Farmland. Ridgeville, Saratoga, Winchester, Lynn (two). Bartonia, Hunts- ville (two), Buena Vista, Losantville (two), Spartansburg (near), Salem (near), Harrisville, Pittsburg and perhaps others. There is also one on the State line, in Ohio, two miles south of Union City, and one in Union City, Ohio. This last is a remarkable establishment, an account of which will be found under Union City.

The business of tile-making has been carried to a high de- gree of perfection, the machine sending fortli a continual stream of ready-made pipe, which is cut by a wire into appropriate lengths of one foot each. This branch of industry is both hon- orable and greatly useful, the value of the soil for production being immensely increased. In old times, ditches were put in simply in swampy places or to drain ponds. Now, tile-drains are laid by many farmers over nearly the whole extent of their lands, and the soil is wonderfully benefited by the operation.

We present an account of three or four of the tile-kilns as an indieation of the nature and extent of this new and most useful branch of industry.

Tile Factory near Buena Vista (Thomas Brady). - This es- tablishment was set up at Buena Vista about 1875 by Gray Bros. In 1881, it was bought by Thomas Brady, and moved one aud a half miles south and put into operation on a greatly enlarged scale and with facilities much improved. Gray Bros. used to burn twenty kilns in a season, with 450 rods each. Mr. Brady has introduced the "Wicker Kiln," being the first of the kind in the county. It has a permanent brick top, and the tiles are put in and taken out at the side. The burning is effected in a pecul- iar manner; first, at the top and then below, both at the sides and the ends. Two firing-holes are at each side and five at each end. They save twenty-four hours' time and 25 per cent of the fnel, and make a superior quality of tile. Thirty-six to forty hours' time and four and a half cords of wood will complete the burning of the large kiln of 1,000 rods of tile. Mr. Brady has only just begun with his new style of kiln, but he is greatly pleased with its operation and expects abundant success. There are two tile factories near Huntsville, one owned by Jerry Bly and another besides that.

Tile Factory Near Pittsburg .- Was established in 1877, being owned by Jesse Pnterbangh and operated by Moses M. Ferrell. They have burned twenty-three small kilns in a season, 350 rods each. The present kiln is large, holding 1.400 rods. They burn one kiln per month, and find ready sale for all they can make.

Tile Factory, Lynn, Frist & Frickel .--- It was established in 1876. They burn eighteon kilns during the season, of 400 rods each, and find an abundant sale for all they produce. There is also another tile factory near Lynn, owned by Hiatt & Shultz, which has been in operation for several years.

Tile Factory two miles north of Parker. owned by Bullock & Brothers, established in 1877, and doing a large business.

Mr. Snooks, of Union City, Ohio, has tile works of a superior sort, some account of which is given in his biography.

One is about to be established (spring of 1882) by Warren S. Montgomery, near Stone Station, northwest of Winchester.

WEATHER, CROPS, ETC.

In the spring of 1817, the emigrants who came first to White River mot a heavy snow at the top of the Alleghanies on their journey, and traveled in the snow all the way therein to their new home, crossing the Ohio on the ice, probably about March 1, at Cincinnati.

Other winters have been severe: 1837, 1843, 1857 were very hard winters, but we have no account of them for this locality at hand.

1841 -Jacob Farquhar says (West River Township): "In the spring of 1841, I had abundance of corn, and many came from Jay County and elsewhere to buy of me. Among others, Mr. ", the Sheriff of Jay County, came after corn April 6, 1841. He stayed all night, and on the morning of April 7, he started for home with a load of corn, the roads being frozen hard enough to bear up fi .. wagon. Corn then sold for 123

cents a bushel, and coonskins for 75 cents apiece-six bushels of corn for one coonskin." About 1847 or 1848, the wheat crop was very poor, wheat rising from 40 and 50 cents to $1.20 and $1.25 a bushel. In 1851 wheat was 40 cents a bushel at Greonville, Ohio.

In 1874, the corn crop of Randolph was good, while yet in the country at large the yield was poor; and in the spring of 1875 the price of corn rose to 70 and 73 cents, netting the Ran- dolph farmers a fine amount.

Years ago, the weather was much less cold and snowy than it has been of late. During the time from 1846 to 1854, there was but one period of sleighing of more than three or four days' con- tinuance, and cold spells rarely lasted more than three days.

About 1875 was a very wet summer, the rains through July being so frequent and so severe that the gathering of the harvest became nearly an impossibility. Much of the grain grew and rotted in the shock, and much that was housed was badly dam - aged.

The wheat crop of 1879 was wonderful for abundance and for excellence, many fields yielding thirty bushels and more to the acre, and some rising to the amazing figure of fifty bushels, and one small field in Grant County yielding at the rate of sixty bushels to the acre. Some new kinds, the Fultz, and some others, yielded amazingly.

The wheat crop of 1880 was a good one as well, though not nearly equal to the one of the previous summer.

The summer of 1880 was exceedingly dry in the western por- tion of the county, so as nearly to ruin the corn crop there.

The winter of 1880-81 was remarkable for cold and snow. The snow began abont November 10, and continued mostly until March, with splendid sleighing much of the time, which was im- proved immensely by such a product of sawlogs, etc .. hanled to the mills as Randolph County never saw before, The mills at Union City alone are said to have bought 25,000 logs, contain- ing millions of feet of lumber.

The last week in March (March 1881), the snow began falling in the night of Monday, and by the next day it was some fifteen inches deep, and continued at intervals for several days, until the body of snow lay on the ground from twenty to twenty- four inches deep, a moist, heavy snow, and if it had not melted as it fell, many think it would have been three feet deep. That snow lay on for some two weeks or more, making, probably, about the worst roads that ever were seen.

The winter of 1880-81 is noted as being long, hard, snowy and severe, and the Mississippi Valley was greatly damaged by water, especially the Missouri River. The suffering through Minnesota and Nebraska and Dakota by deep snow and desperate weather was fearful, as also by the awful floods on the Missouri.

The summer of 1881 has shown us the hottest weather ever known in this region. About the 4th of July and onward, the thermometer ranged from 100° to 112' in the shade, and with- out a drop of rain for some weeks. The heat was awful. Some . days have been almost without wind. However, at this writing, (September 25, 1881), the drouth and the heat are both at an end. Refreshing and abundant showers have watered the parched earth, and the severity of the scorching heat has greatly abated. No frost has yet fallen, and the weather is as delightful as can well be imagined. October 27, 1881, still no killing frost, abundant rain has fallen, weather not even chilly, grass and other things growing with great luxuriance. Two nights, Octo- ber 20 and 21. slight frosts, doing no damage whatever. The winter of 1881-82 was mild, with much rain and little freezing, and a small amount of snow.

The spring of 1882 was forward through March and the fore part of April, causing the grass to spring, the pie-plant to grow luxuriantly, the wheat to come forward with unusual vigor, and the peaches and early cherries to bloom. Abont the 10th of April. a smart snow fell, and the night afterward a freeze oc. curred, making ice half an inch thick and freezing the ground still deeper than that. Freezes and frosts kept on nearly every night for more than a week, and even to this time (April 29, 1882), the weather has not regained the warmth that prevailed during the latter half of March.

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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

Prices have risen to pretty high figures-butter, 25 to 30 cents; cattle and swine, from $4 to $0; beef, to from 8 to 15 cents; corn, 70 cents; potatoes, $1.30 to $2.40, etc. Potatoes, sauer kraut, etc., have been imported from Europe during the present winter in large quantities, a thing which, perhaps, never before occurred in this country.

May 29, 1882 .- The weather has been cold and very wet for more than a month; not more than half the corn crop is yet planted, and not one-tenth of the plant has yet come up. Much of the ground had to be replowed because the heavy rains had run the land together and made it hard and soggy, and the outlook is altogether very discouraging for the spring crops, especially for corn. Many years ago, the corn crop by the Ist of Juno used to be knee high and even more; and the 25th of June, 1846, thirty-six years ago, the writer of this article saw corn between Spartansburg and Richmond as tall as the top of the head of a boy riding on horseback.

Several frosts have occurred during the month of May, doing, however, but little damage.

June 25, 1882 .- Crops generally look 'well, except corn, and that is now coming on finely, though exceedingly small for the time of year, the largest boing not more than knoe high. Corn has been known to furnish green corn by July 4.

WEATHER ACCOUNT.

The author of this work has obtained access to an account of the state of weather in the vicinity of Randolph County, kept at Economy, Wayne Co., Ind., every day since April, 1833.

Three observations have been recorded daily, viz., sunrise, 2 o'clock P. M., and sunset.

Some items of information taken from that record are given herewith:

The hottest day in 1833 was August 21-92 degrees above zero at 2 P. M .; the coldest days in the winter of 1833-34 were January 3 and 23, 10 below; the hottest day in 1834 was Angust 12, 96 above; the coldest day in 1834-35 was February 7, 22 below; November 29, 1835, the thermometer stood at sunrise at 5 below; March 12, 1836, 18 below; November 4, 1836, 12 above; May 4, 1837, 86 above-pretty hot for the 4th of May; Novem- ber 1, 1837, 19 above: February 22, 1838, 21 below; May 11, 1838, 25 above; July 29 and Auguet 12, 1838, 93 above: Octo- ber 31, 1838, 18 above; November 19, 1838 .. zero; March 4, 1839, 18 below-coldest of the winter: May 4, 1839, 23 above; July 29 and August 25, 1839, 92 above-hottest of the year; Sep- tember 28, 1839, 22 above; five succeeding days averaged 25; November 25, 1839, 9 below; January 18, 1840, 15 below --- coldest of the winter; June 12 and 28, 1840, 86 above; October 26, 1840, 14 above; average for four days, 153; January 18, 1841, 16 below -coldest; June 18, 1841, 93- hottest day; March, 1842, warmest March on record: average of month, 50216; March 24, 1843, 12 below; average of month, 13]; October 14, 1843, 20 above; October 31, 1844, 19 above; February 2, 1845, 7 below -- coldest of the winter; September 22, 1845, 30 above; October 15, 1845, 20 abovo; July 9, 1846, 94 above; January 10, 1848, 21 below; June 27, 1848, 97 above-hottest of the season; September, 1848, 29 above; June 20 and 21, 1849, 90 above; November 10, 1849, 24-killing frost; May 18, 1850, 28 above; May 7, 1851, 19 above; September 13, 1851, 92 above -- pretty hot for middle of September; Jannary 19, 1851, 19 be- low; average for the day, 14 below; May 20, 1852, 26 above- pretty cold; June, 1853, 90 above, and above five days; average of the month, 713.

1854-From June to September inclusive, there were forty- one days in the "nineties," viz., June 26 to 28, three days; July, seventeen days; August, twelve days; September, nine days; August 20 to September 10, eighteen days, above 90 every day but three; four were 95; September 4 was 96; September 5 was 98; July 30, 1854, average for the day 84-highest but one on the record; January, 1856, coldest month on the record; January 9, 27 below; January 10, 29 below -- coldest on the record; number of days below zero in January and February, twenty days; February 3, 22 below; February 4, 24 below; Feb- ruary 5, 22 below; June 22, 1856, 95 above-seven days in

"ninety " in June, 1856; July 16, 1856, 98 above; July 29, 1856, 95 above; this month has the highest average heat on the record, 75, 95, 88 above-average 86; March 10, 1857, 10 below; May 12, 1857, 25 above; August 6, 1858, 93 above; June 5, 1859, 30 above-killing frost; July 10 to 20, 1859, 90 above; July 13 to 18, 1859, 96 and 98 above; December 8, 1850, 15 below; December 31, 1859, 15 below; January 1, 1860, 16 below; Jan- uary 2, 1860, 18 below; June 27, 1860, 94 above; September S, 1863, 90 above; January 1, 1864, 21, 14, 17 below; average 173 --- coldest whole day on record.

NOTE .- At Liber, Jay Co., Ind., the thermometer stood at 6 A. M. 26 below-cold New Year. At 9 P. M. the night before it stood at 45 above, thus falling in nine hours 71 degrees, or a fraction less than 8 degrees per hour.

July, 1864, has fourteen "nineties;" July 30, 1864, has 98 above; February 16, 1866, 27 below; October, 1869, was exceedingly cold, perhaps the coldest October ever experienced, thus: 13th, 24; 16th, 22; 20th, 18; 24th, 11; 25th, 17; 27th, 11; 31st, 16; average for seven days, 17 above zero; September 5 to 9, 1872, 90, 93. 93, 93. 92 above; December 22, 1872, 23 bolow; January 20, 1873. 28 below; October, 1873, was another cold October; October 7 was 24; 24, 18; 29, 15; 31, 19; average of four days, 19 above zero; September, 1874, has four " nineties;" January, 1875, has seven days below zero; February, 1875, has nine days below zero; January 9 and 10 and February 18 have each 20' below zero; Sep- tember 2, 1875, has 90 -the hottest of the season. The win- ter of 1875-76 had only two days below zero; December 17 and 18, 3 and 1 below; Jannary 3, 4 and 5, 1879, 26, 20, 20 be- low; January 3, 1879, averaged 15 below-the second coldest day in forty-eight years: May 20, 1879, 88 above-hot for the time of year; December 26. 1879, 3, 10, 9, were the lowest points reached during that winter; November 19, 1880, 16 below; November 22, 1880, 21 below-coldest in November in the record; December 9, 1880, 10 below; December 29, 1880, 20, 8, 14 below; average 14 below -- the third coldost day upon the record; July 5 to 13, 1881, 90, 96, 93, 95, 90, 96, 98, 98, 91 above; average 943. Thus far the record.

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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 63

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman Number of Pages: 664

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman
Number of Pages: 664