History of Tipton County Indiana, Part 21

Author: M. W. Pershing
Publication date: 1914
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 701

USA > Indiana > Tipton County > History of Tipton County Indiana > Part 21

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Early in 1861 the paper was again issued, with J. V. Cox in the role of editor-in-chief. Cox wrote leaders, while the remainder of the composition, type-setting, printing, etc., was done by the faithful Archibald Ramsay, the printer. Late in the year 1861 Judge N. R. Overman secured an interest in the paper, and contributed a few regular, though very short, paragraphs.

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In 1862, for partisan reasons, the name of the paper was changed to the Democratic Union, the paper still being Democratic in "color." Early in 1864 the office was sold to William J. Turpen, who was at the time in the army, and who contributed very interesting letters from the firing line. He was mustered out before the close of the war and returned to take personal control of the paper. One of his first moves was the changing of the trade name of the Tipton County Times. He conducted the paper very successfully until 1869, when he sold out to J. C. Brady and removed to Nashville, Ten- nessee, where he became connected with another paper. which he ran with far less success. It is stated in records that he brought upon his head the wrath of the Southern "colonels" to such an extent that he was given "time" to get out of town.

Brady was fairly successful with his new possession and he installed the first job press ever in the county. In 1874 he sold out to Judge N. R. Over- man, who employed J. T. Cox to edit the paper. In the spring of 1875 Ems- ley A. Overman bought a half interest in the paper. At this time the first cylinder power press ever in the county was bought for four hundred dollars and placed in the office. E. A. Overman became editor and financial manager. In January, 1876. William Haw bought the office, and issued the paper until January, 1877, when, being unable to pay for it, he relinquished it and the office went back to the Overmans. E. A. Overman conducted it until Sep- tember, 1878, when he purchased the interest of N. R. Overman and thus became sole owner and proprietor. Early in 1880 the office was sold to P. and J. O. Behymer, brothers, but a year later it reverted to E. A. Overman, who continued it until November. 1881, when it passed to S. Ray Williams, who, in January, 1882, took as a partner D. A. Alexander. In September, 1882. Williams retired, leaving Alexander the sole owner, but near April 1, 1883, the latter was joined by Jeremiah Fish, who continued with the paper until May. 1883, when he retired.

Shortly afterward the paper became the property of J. O. Behymer, and on January 1, 1914, he is still the owner and editor. An evening paper is issued, a six-column quarto, and a morning edition is sent to the country. The weekly paper was abandoned one year ago. A large amount of job printing is done at present by the Times office.

THE TIPTON REPUBLICAN.

A Republican paper named The Tipton Republican was founded early in 1860 by S. T. Montgomery. For a time, during that year, it was the sole

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paper in the county. G. W. Lowley bought the office in 1860 and he issued the paper until September, 1861, when he enlisted in the army, and soon after- ward the office was sold to satisfy the indebtedness hanging over it on ac- count of the purchase. This killed the paper forever. .

THE TIPTON ENTERPRISE.

Joel Reece began issuing in Tipton a paper called the Enterprise in August, 1872. Frank Ristine was the printer. The October elections of 1874 put the quietus on this sheet without hope of resuscitation.

THE TIPTON ADVANCE.

In the early spring of 1874 W. J. Turpen and L. H. Emmons issued the first number of the Tipton Advance, and it was called an independent Democratic newspaper. It continued to be published with varying success until the spring of 1876, when it was purchased by William Haw and merged with the Times.

THE REPUBLICAN (NO. 2).

The Tipton Republican was started in April, 1876, by John Greeves, in response to the urgings of many prominent Republicans. The start was not very auspicious, for there was barely enough type to print the paper. After a few issues, M. W. Pershing traveled to Chicago for the purpose of buy- ing proper material for the office. He accordingly purchased one hundred and fifty dollars' worth of apparatus, which he loaned to Mr. Greeves. At this juncture, a number of Republicans bought the paper of Greeves and em- ployed Pershing to edit the sheet temporarily, or until a permanent editor could be secured. These Republicans were Dan Waugh, Park Russell, J. H. Fear, M. V. B. Newcomer, R. B. Beauchamp, S. I. Davis, W. P. Weed, S. Lowley, M. Rosenthal, J. C. Gregg, William Barlow, H. Mehlig and W. M. Grishaw. This company owned the office with the exception of the material which had been purchased by Mr. Pershing in Chicago. In August, 1876, Mr. Solon Snook took the office on the same terms under which Mr. Pershing had issued it, namely, to maintain its Republicanism, and to have all he could make from the office, the ownership, of course, still remaining with the company. Mr. Snook continued the publication until after the October

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state election, when he suspended it and J. C. Gregg took the editorial chair

on the same terms and successfully issued the paper until August of 1877.

THE ADVOCATE.

T. M. Smith started a Greenback and Republican campaign sheet in September, 1878, and placed the subscription price at twenty-five cents for the campaign term. Mr. Smith was the Greenback editor and M. W. Persh- ing superintended the Republican side. This paper was called the Advocate. The campaign closed and with it the paper.

In October Mr. Pershing became editor of the Advocate. The first three months of this paper's existence was a struggle for life. These tortur- ous days safely weathered, things began to boom, and at the end of the first year the paper was enlarged to an eight-column folio. The uncovering of malfeasance in office and the merciless light turned on certain public of- ficials won a reputation for the paper, and contributed most strongly to its material success. In 1889 Mr. Pershing equipped the office with steam power presses, new material and enlarged the paper to an eight-page quarto.

Mr. Pershing continued the publication of the Advocate until the year 1901, when he disposed of it to W. H. Barnhart, after the former had been appointed postmaster of Tipton. Mr. Barnhart continued the publication of the sheet to January 1, 1902, when he sold out to W. H. Staley, who pub- lished the paper until his death. At this period it passed into the hands of his son, Ed T. Staley. The paper was a weekly publication until April 4, 1910, when the Morning Daily Advocate was established. This publication was continued until January 1, 1913, when it was suspended, the weekly Advocate having suspended the year before. This suspension left the Re- publican party without a newspaper representing it in the county.

THE WINDFALL HERALD.

This small weekly newspaper was established in April, 1891, by J. C. Day, who is the present owner and publisher, although in the time since the establishment there have been other proprietors, namely: Mr. Cilis, S. A. Gordon and O. G. Couch. The present sheet is independent, and is a seven- column folio.

The Truth Teller and Il'indfall News are two other newspapers which have arisen in Windfall in the past quarter century, and which have ex- pired.

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THE KEMPTON COURIER.

The Kempton Courier was organized on September 8, 1907, to succeed the Chronicle, and has become one of the largest papers in the county. Frank Ristine is the owner and editor of the sheet at present. The paper is a seven-column quarto, and is issued weekly.

The Baptist Herald and the Little Indian, a fraternal paper, have been issued in Kempton during the past twenty-five years, but are both now ex- tinct.

THE CAR OF PROGRESS.

In the late fifties a small folio sheet, named the Car of Progress, was inaugurated at Tipton by Mr. Kelsaw. The paper fought against the Demo- cratic principles of that period and became involved with the Democratic paper on the leading questions of the day, such as the extension of slave territory and the probability of war with the South. This paper had a life of nine months.

SATURDAY EXPRESS.

J. O. Behymer, in the forepart of 1882, endeavored to give life to a new Democratic county organ, the Saturday Express. In the early part of 1883 this sheet uttered its swan song.

THE WINDFALL NEWS.

Near May, 1876, Messrs. Sweet and Fugit established at Windfall an independent newspaper, and gave it the name of the Windfall News. They conducted this paper for one year, when the office was sold to P. and J. O. Behymer, who, in turn, issued the paper until the spring of 1880. Then it expired. In the fall of 1876 Sweet and Fugit issued a monthly paper de- voted to the interest of the children, called Our Home. This paper attained. a circulation all over the United States, amounting to over three thousand. When the News outfit was sold to the Behymers, this children's sheet went with it, and thereby terminated.

THE TIPTON TRIBUNE.

At the present time one of the leading newspapers in the county of Tipton is the Tipton Tribune. It was established as a six-column folio daily

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in the year 1895 by A. W. Ramsay and J. E. Anderson. Two years later I. M. O'Banion succeeded Mr. Anderson in the firm. At first, or until 1905, the office issued a weekly and a daily paper, but on the above date the weekly suspended publication. The Tribune is now a daily newspaper, with a morn- ing and evening edition. Each edition is eight pages, the morning paper being for the rural patrons and the evening for the city. Politically the paper is independent, and enjoys a large circulation and liberal advertising list. This paper has come to be a power in Tipton county, and has won a reputa- tion on account of its unprejudiced treatment of all news stories. It is es- sentially a county paper, covering every community in the county fully. The facilities of the paper for doing job work are also excellent, and quite an amount of this business is done. M. W. Pershing, the former editor of the Advocate, is now identified with the Tribune as associate editor. A. W. Ramsay is the editor. I. M. O'Banion is circulation and business manager. The Tribune was the first newspaper published in the county to introduce the Merganthaler typesetting machine, it now having two machines in the office.

THE EARLY NEWSPAPER.

In this day of newspaper excellence, it is hard to conceive of the early print shop and the amount of fortitude it required to issue a small sheet, often a sheet, every week. The modern newspaper, both in city and country, has become an institution, both as a news medium and as an educator. In the matter of up-to-date improvements and methods, it is safe to say that the country newspaper in general has kept pace with the city-that is, compara- tively. Mechanical advancement has rendered possible a high type of jour- nalism, a necessity to civilization and the progress of the industries, com- mercial enterprises and society.

The early newspaper was often a "one man" publication-that is, the office of editor-in-chief, business manager, circulation manager, managing editor, advertising, subscription and general manager, press foreman. printer, and "devil," were filled by one man, and he was generally a man whom busi- ness and hard work made unapproachable. With a hatful of type, a hand press and radical ideas, the first journalist worked. The individuality of the editor of the early newspaper was more pronounced than it is today. The eilitor was known and his opinions were quoted as authority on questions of public importance. The editor was a molder of public sentiment, ,but since rapid transit, free city and rural mail delivery and the farm and the city are brought closer together, the personality of the editor has not. that

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commanding influence that it once had. The newspaper is today almost ex- clusively given over to publicity of current events, rather than creating pub- lic sentiment.

Efficiency is the keynote of modern journalism, and also dispatch and punctuality. Telegraph connections have made the impossible possible, in the way of timely news. No sooner does an event occur than it is the knowledge of the world.

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CHAPTER XV.

LODGES AND SOCIETIES.

FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS.

Austin Lodge No. 128, Free and Accepted Masons, at Tipton, was chartered on May 26, 1852. There are in January, 1914, three hundred and fifty-six members. The present hall was constructed and dedicated January 3, 1905, the cost being twenty thousand dollars. The officers of the lodge at present are : Omer Legg, worshipful master ; Roy B. Tope, senior warden; Oren Zehner, junior warden; Anthony Werner, treasurer; Arthur J. Smith, secretary ; Samuel D. Groves, senior deacon; Homer A. Kirtley, junior dea- con; Herbert O. Walker, senior steward; Will H. Ferguson, junior steward; David M. Kirkwood, tyler; Moses Haas, Abraham Kirtley and Willis B. Huron, trustees.

Tipton Chapter No. 114, Royal Arch Masons, was chartered on Octo- ber 22, 1897, and at present has one hundred and forty-two members. The officers are : Claude C. Cochran, high priest ; Marvin W. Surratt, king; John N. Penwell, scribe; Abraham Kirtley, treasurer ; Arthur J. Smith, secretary; Samuel D. Groves, captain of host: Gavin Mitchell. principal sojourner ; Harry Combs, royal arch captain; Herbert O. Walker, master third veil; Howard B. Richardson, master second veil; Oren Zehner, master first veil; David M. Kirkwood, guard.

Tipton Council No. 80, Royal and Select Masters, was chartered Octo- ber 17, 1905, and now has a membership of one hundred and ten. The officers for 1914 are : Sidney W. Curtis, thrice illustrious master ; Marvin W. Surratt, right illustrious deputy master : Claude C. Cochran, illustrious prin- cipal conductor of work; Abraham Kirtley. treasurer; Arthur J. Smith. re- corder : Roy B. Tope, captain of guard; Howard B. Richardson, steward: David M. Kirkwood, sentinel.

Tipton Commandery No. 52, Knights Templar, was chartered June 19. 1906. There are now eighty-one members. The officers follow : Horace G. Read, eminent commander : Meade Vestal. generalissimo; Charles W. Ram-

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say, captain general; Walter V. Overman, senior warden; Elmer E. Ludwig, junior warden ; John N. Penwell, prelate; Abraham Kirtley, treasurer ; Arthur J. Smith, recorder; Harry Combs, standard bearer; John R. Nash, sword bearer ; Gary G. Davis, warder, and David M. Kirkwood, sentinel.

Rosary Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, was chartered at Tipton on April 26, 1887. There are now two hundred and twenty-six members.

Prairieville Lodge No. 554, Free and Accepted Masons, was organized in the year 1879, with the following charter members: Charles Duncan, Gilbert Van Sickle, Robert Orr, Riley Suite, Abijah Pence, John Carter and R. Wilds. The first elective officers were: Charles Duncan, worshipful master; R. Wilds, senior warden: Gilbert Van Sickle, junior warden.

The first Masonic lodge at Sharpsville received its dispensation De- cember 26, 1854, H. C. Lawrence, grand master. The officers and charter members were: Silas Needham, worshipful master ; George W. Rose, senior warden; Levi Moorly, junior warden; James A. Dunnigan, senior deacon ; Robert McLain, junior deacon; J. A. Franklin, secretary, and N. Spaulding, treasurer. The charter was granted May 31, 1855, with A. C. Downey, grand master. and Silas Needham. worshipful master. In 1863, on account of many members enlisting in the army, the lodge was compelled to surrender its charter. The charter was restored in 1868. The preliminary meetings for the organization of the lodge were held up-stairs in Silas Needham's home. During the dispensation and until 1855 its meetings were held in the Odd Fellows building. The lodge next met in a room over what was later Seiler's blacksmith shop, and continued to meet there until the Masonic build- ing was erected. This was Reserve Lodge No. 363, and it is still existent in Sharpsville. There are one hundred and forty members, and the following are the officers: M. J. Helwig, worshipful master: Clifford Suite, senior warden; A. L. Tyner, junior warden : R. C. Spears, secretary ; J. L. Romack, treasurer.

Kempton Lodge No. 692, Free and Accepted Masons, was chartered in May, 1913. At present there are thirty-five members, and the officers are : Orgo G. Osborn, worshipful master ; Clarence A. Smith, senior warden; Dan J. Harlow, junior warden; James S. Faulkner, treasurer; F. T. Blystone. secretary.

Windfall Lodge No. 334. Free and Accepted Masons, was organized in 1876 with a good membership. In 1878 the lodge obtained a hall. At present there are one hundred and thirty-nine members in the lodge, and the financial condition is excellent. Elmer McNew is worshipful master : Oscar

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Terwilliger is senior warden; Otho L. Mckay is junior warden; A. D. Riffe, is secretary, and George C. Wood is treasurer.

INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.

Tipton Lodge No. 220, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was insti- tuted in 1857, when Tipton had a population of three hundred people. The charter members were: A. J. Applegate, George W. Boyer, William Scott, A. G. Ferguson, G. F. Wainwright. John Fisher and I. C. Lohe. The first elective officers were : A. J. Applegate, noble grand; George W. Boyer, vice- grand; B. Geltner, secretary, and William Dickson, treasurer .. Not a single charter member, is alive today, George W. Boyer being the last surviving member.

After the Civil war, lodge meetings were held in the old Masonic hall. This growing too small, in 1872 S. P. Martindale erected a business block on West Jefferson street and the order secured one of its rooms. This frame building was recently condemned by the state fire chief and the building was razed and a new brick block takes its place. The second lodge rooms were in the third story of a new brick block then constructed. The last site, on the corner of Jefferson and Independence streets, was purchased, and a building erected, and dedicated on October 27, 1910. The cost was sixteen thousand dollars.

Cicero Encampment was organized in the early seventies, but, after an existence of a few years, it was suspended. In 1891 it was reorganized and now has a membership of more than one hundred. There are two Rebekah lodges.

The membership of the lodge at present is two hundred and twenty- seven, and the officers are: Henry Luttrell, noble grand; Robert Luttrell, vice-grand; James O. Winton, recording secretary; Dr. I. H. Woodruff, financial secretary ; J. M. Singleton, treasurer ; James R. Simmonds, James G. Cloud and Elisha Cox, trustees.

Hobbs Lodge No. 777. Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was insti- tuted in 1901, and the charter members were John H. Morris, William H. Huston, Stephen Warne and Thomas Buchanon. The first officers were: John H. Morris, noble grand; William H. Huston, vice-grand; Charles W. Warne, recording secretary, and Jerry Ressler, treasurer. At present there are sixty-three members active, and the principal officers are: Peter Durr, noble grand; Vern Parker, vice-grand; Walter Jordan, recording secretary;

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Roy Batzner, treasurer, and J. H. Parker, financial secretary. The lodge is in good condition. They have a Rebekah lodge.

Windfall Lodge No. 438, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organ- ized on April 22, 1873. The charter members were F. S. Zeek, George Dunn, William Booher, W. S. Armstrong, Joel Reese, S. G. Young and Henry Findling. . After the lodge was instituted, the following were the first officers elected : John H. Zehner, noble grand; John Thorn, vice-grand; F. S. Zeek, secretary and treasurer. The Odd Fellows of Windfall have experi- enced misfortune in the past. At one time their lodge hall was destroyed by fire. The present hall cost ten thousand dollars and was constructed in 1904. There are two hundred and twenty members, and the following are the officers : K. L. Kennedy, noble grand; W. G. Butler, vice-grand : R. A. Card- well, recording secretary; J. M. Crouch, financial secretary: W. F. Butner, treasurer ; F. H. Null. H. E. Barrett and Frank H. Bishop, trustees.

Windfall Encampment No. 190 has ninety-five members now. Elmer McNew is chief patriarch; Culver Prasing, high priest, and H. Couch, junior warden. They also have a Rebekah lodge.

Sharpsville Lodge No. 347, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. was instituted on May 18, 1870, with the following charter members: Simon Marcena, M. E. Clark, J. E. Rumsey, W. J. Franklin, George W. Boyer, George V. Haynes, D. E. Gilbert and W. S. Armstrong. The lodge was instituted June 2, 1870, and the first officers were: Simon Marcena, noble grand; William Dixon, vice-grand; M. E. Clark, secretary, and D. E. Gilbert, treasurer. There are now one hundred and eighteen members and the lodge is in an excellent condition. They own their own hall. A. R. Chase is noble grand; John Keith is vice-grand; Howard Land is recording secretary : Shir- ley C. Tyner is financial secretary, and H. D. Wooldridge is treasurer. They have a Rebekah lodge.

Liberty Lodge No. 710, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organ- ized at Kempton in 1895, twenty years after the first lodge was instituted. The charter members were R. W. Biggs, G. W. Turner, D. D. Dunn, William H. Booher, W. L. Holmes, J. A. Dunham, J. C. McMullen, J. D. Galbreath, J. A. Graham, W. W. Conner, M. N. Forkner, William Stratford, Cook Finley, John W. Mott, George H. Stephenson, Alonzo Barnett, Samuel Still- well, Samuel Barrow, O. W. Heaton, and J. M. Wood. D. D. Dunn was the first noble grand of this lodge.

Ekin Lodge No. 764, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was instituted on October 25, 1900. The charter members were Louis Hall, A. W. Lewis,

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H. L. Stillings, J. L. Thomas, O. H. Endicott, J. D. Phillips, Cary DeVaney, Emery Lee and Merritt S. Johnson. The latter was the first noble grand. They have a Rebekah lodge.

Kempton Lodge No. 482, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized March 31, 1874, and worked under dispensation until May 20th, at which time a charter was granted. The charter members were William H. Goodknight. A. B. Seward, J. J. Campbell, G. W. Robbins, Jacob Ream, W. R. Watson, David Goodknight and F. M. Mozingo. The first officers were: William Goodknight, noble grand; Jacob Ream, vice-grand'; John Kemp, recording secretary; N. B. Matthews, permanent secretary, and F. M. Mozingo, treasurer. . The present membership is about two hundred. They have a strong encampment and a Rebekah lodge.

Tetersburg Lodge No. 324, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized May 7, 1869, with the following charter members: S. M. Patton, Samuel Deal, James B. Woods, George W. Lowley and Dr. A. M. Vickrey. The first officers were: Samuel Deal, noble grand: J. V. Hoss, vice-grand ; Aaron Ward, secretary ; James B. Wood, treasurer ; S. M. Patton, warden and also conductor. Meetings were held in a hall over Phares' store until 1879, when the lodge was transferred to the village of Goldsmith.

The Rebekah lodges in the county are: Charity Lodge No. 148, at Goldsmith : Eden Lodge No. 270, at Windfall; Tipton Lodge No. 303; Maze Lodge No. 229, at Sharpsville; Kempton Lodge No. 387; Bee Hive Lodge No. 502, at Tipton; Ekin Lodge No. 629, and Laurel Lodge No. 626, at Hobbs.

BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS.

No community can justly boast of finer and more prosperous fraternal organizations than Tipton county. One of the very best of these organiza- tions is Tipton's lodge of Elks. Tipton Lodge No. 1012, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, was instituted February 1, 1906, with a charter membership of one hundred and thirteen. Upon the first anniversary, or when it was one year of age, it dedicated a magnificent home located upon the south side of the public square, which is beautifully furnished and with the lot, having a frontage of eighty-two and one-half feet, cost twenty thousand dol- lars. The lodge now has a membership of about two hundred.

The membership in this order is composed of the leading men of the city and county and its activities in benevolent and social affairs have been noteworthy. Much distress has been relieved in the quiet manner character- istic of Elkdom's benevolence. The doors of the home are thrown open

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without charge to various meetings of a public character and the Chamber of Commerce and Chautauqua Association use it for regular meeting place.

The lodge of Tipton Elks is strong and deservedly popular and well fills a mission in Tipton county.

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History of Tipton County Indiana, Part 21

Author: M. W. Pershing Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Number of Pages: 701

Author: M. W. Pershing
Publication date: 1914
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 701