USA > Indiana > Jasper County > Remington > History of the town of Remington and vicinity, Jasper County, Indiana > Part 7
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BARBER SHOPS.
HE first man to engage in the barber and hair dressing business in Remington, was Mr. William Railsback, who ventured into this business in the year 1868. The next man to follow him in this business was Mr. Smith Payne, (better known as Doc Payne), who is still in the business here. Doc is a cripple; he first started in the business in the office of the Nevada House, and remained there until the Anglemire stone and brick building was completed, when he removed his barber shop into one of the rooms up stairs. He ran this barber shop in connection with the first pool tables ever brought to the town of Remington, which was in the year 1870. He did not remain in the pool business any considerable length of time; he was finally indicted for allowing minors to play. Mr. Payne has had his shop located in a great many different places in town, among them being upstairs in Exchange Block, and in the basement of the same building; in the corner of Indiana and Railway streets, in the Babb House, and in a small house adjoining the Babb House, which was destroyed by fire which occurred in 1888. He then located in the McDougle building south of the railway, fronting on Ohio street, and whilst he was there he built his present neat little shop on his own real estate, formerly owned by the saloonkeeper, Jared H. Fountain, adjoining the stone and brick structure owned by Mr. D. W. Green.
Mr. William C. Kirk has been doing a good barber and hair dressing business in Remington for the past seventeen or eighteen years. He did exceedingly well until he was burned out, during the Ellis fire, which occurred several years ago. He also ran in connection with his barber shop, a news stand or depot, wherein he has kept for sale all the leading daily newspapers of Chicago, and many other peri-
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odical magazines and journals. He is a widower, with a large family of young girls, and one boy.
In 1874 a Mr. John Corkins engaged in the barber business here, and in connection with this business he also did a fair jewelry trade. He remained here but a few 1 years when he removed to Monon, in White county, Indi- ana, where he is still, and has been reported to have amassed a considerable amount of money.
Again in 1884, one John Sharkey started up in the barber and hair dressing business. He only continued a short time in the business, when he was succeeded by his brother, William Sharkey. William Sharkey remained in the business perhaps three years here, when he sold out to his brother-in-law, Fred Turner. Turner remained in the business about two years, when he sold out to Mr. Lewis, who is still here. The Sharkey's and Fred Turner are now in the same business in Chicago.
RESTAURANTS.
HE first man to engage in the restaurant business in Remington was Samuel B. Haver, who engaged in this business in the year 1865, immediately after his return from the army. He continued in this business for several years, finally quitting the restau- rant and embarking in the hotel business.
The next man to follow with a restaurant was George W. Sweet, who built the first bake oven and conducted a bakery in connection with his restaurant. He did this in the year 1868. Mr. James E. Stiller was also at one time engaged in the restaurant business, but after a few years quit it and engaged in general merchandising. Maurice Rahiley was for a time a prominent restaurateur of Rem- ington, selling out his interest in the business in 1884, to Mr. George W. Heilig, who remained in the business in
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connection with his bakery until 1893, when he sold out to C. W. Harner and returned to Illinois. Harner continues in the business to the present time.
In 1882, Martin Pefley, who was a crippled boy. opened up a restaurant in one of the small rooms that was destroyed in the Ellis fire in 1883. But just a short time previous to this fire, he had removed his stock of goods to the south side of Railway street. He sold out to L. Riley in 1883. Mr. Pefley died a short time after selling his stock of goods to Mr. Riley. Lewis A. Ford engaged in the restaurant business in Remington on three different occasions, but Lewis was not destined to make a success of the business on either of these occasions. He closed out his last venture to Mr. Frank Simmons in 1893. Timmons sold out this stock and went out of the business. In 1885, Smith Payne ventured into the restaurant business, his location being the basement in the southeast corner of Exchange block. He remained there for only a short time, when he removed his goods to the corner building on Indi- ana and Railway streets. He kept a barber shop here also. He sold out his restaurant business to Charles Hoopes in the year 1887. Hoopes remained there until the year 1888. He had removed a short time before the fire of 1888 into a room in the old Babb hotel, and after the destruction of that business portion of Remington, Mr. Hoopes went out of the business altogether. Very nearly every man who engaged in the resturant business in Remington made fail- ures of it, George W. Heilig, perhaps, being the only man to engage in the business who was successful. He made some money here, and he probably made the greatest mis- take of his life when he sold out his business to Mr. C. W. Harner. He remained in the business longer than any other person. He commenced as a baker, working for others and finally became sole proprietor. He was obliged to keep a clerk all the time, and he often had trouble to retain good ones, changes being made quite often. Some of his clerks were: William Broadie, Charles Lewis,
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"Frenchy," Charles Harrington, Frank Harlacher, Frank Kegg, E. Hart and John Sharkey. Another man to engage in the restaurant business was Frank Haver. He com- menced the business in 1890, in the basement of the Exchange block, and in a short time his brother, John Haver, engaged with him as a partner in the business. They then moved their goods into the east room on the first floor of the stone and brick building located on Ohio and Railway streets, and owned by D. W. Green. After the Remington fair of 1891 had closed the Haver Bros. closed out their restaurant business to Pefley Bros., who continued the business until the 12th day of November, 1892, when they sold out to C. W. Harner, who moved the stock of goods to the west side of South Ohio street, into one of the new rooms recently built by the O'Connor brothers.
Joseph Pefley and Charles Myers now started a mer- chant tailoring establishment and occupied rooms over the Remington bank. They continued there until January, 1893, when they moved to the south room of James E. Stillers' building, Myers having sold his interest to Pefley. Pefley appeared to be doing well for a time, but finally he completely collapsed.
HOTELS.
HE first regular hotel and lodging house established in Remington was that established by Mr. Thomas White, who catered to the wants of the travelling public until he sold out to Mr. John Southard, in 1866, who in time sold to James A. May, in 1867. May traded this hotel property to Mr. Joseph Stewart for a farm on Black Oak. Mr. Stewart was a practical farmer, but not a practical hotel keeper, hence the hotel business proved to be a losing one to him, and he finally sold out in a year or two to William Cotton. Mr. Cotton was not well
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satisfied with the place, and he in turn sold to a Mr. Nevada, about the year 1870. The next man to establish a hotel here was Father Henry Babb, who located in Rem- ington in 1872. He was an experienced landlord, having been in the business many years prior to his locating here. At first he rented the Nevada house, but in the year 1874 this property was sold to O. B. McIntire, who in time sold it to J. W. Lock, who moved the house away to make room for the building of the Exchange block. Father Henry Babb then bought the property owned by Samson Erwin, the old blacksmith, and moved the residence to the rear for a kitchen, and built a large two story frame build- ing in front. In this building he established his hotel and his family, or a portion of it, as helpers for him in the hotel. He had with him his wife, his sons, William and Edward, and his daughter, Ida. Father Babb was a very genial, social gentleman, never lacking for something to talk about. He was always at home discussing scriptural topics, being well versed in biblical lore. He was a member of the Church of God, or more generally known as Soul Sleepers. He was at the head of this organization in Rem- ington. He is well remembered by a large number of Remington citizens to-day. He sold his hotel property here in the year 1880, and has resided the greater portion of his time since in Rensselaer, but at the present we believe he resides somewhere in the State of Wisconsin. After selling his hotel here, he started his son-in-law, Mr. Thompson, in the grocery trade, but he sold this out to George W. Cheek in 1883. Mr. Babb traded his hotel property for land in the State of Tennessee, and went down there from here, but he did not like the place very well and soon came back to Rensselaer, having been south only about one year. His old hotel fell into the hands of Mr. Esau Hart, who was the owner of it when it was destroyed by fire in 1888. The other hotel in Remington was built in the year 1860, by Jesse H. Fordyce, the origi- nal proprietor of the town. Thomas White started in this
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hotel first in 1861. After Mr. White quit the business, Mr. B. B. Jeffries took charge of it, but it was not a suc- cessful venture for him. Mr. Samuel Haver succeeded to this business in 1868, and continued in it until 1870, when the building was sold to a Mr. Hanley. The property then rapidly passed from Hanley to Hastings, and from Hastings to R. R. Pettit, he having received it in the fall of 1871, keeping a hotel there about one year. He then sold it to Esau Hart, who has occupied it as a hotel for about twen- ty-two years. Mr. Hart is the only hotel keeper in Rem- ington at this time, although there are others who keep boarders. Mr. Hart is a man of good business qualifica- tions and well calculated for a landlord. His family con- sists of five children, all of whom are adults. His two oldest sons, George and Frank, are engaged in the drug business-Frank in Wolcott and George in Kentland. His youngest son, Earnest, is living at home, and is engaged in the tinner's trade. His oldest daughter is living in Rem- ington and is the wife of Mr. Walter L. Gumm, one of our hardware merchants. His youngest daughter is single and remains at home with her parents.
HARNESS.
HE first harness shop established in Remington was that of David V. Garrison, he having engaged in the manufacture and repair of harness in 1862 but owing to the sparsely settled condition of the country in those early days, the occupation was not very lucrative. He only remained here at that time about one year when he moved back to Lafayette, from where he had come to this place. But he again returned to Remington in 1865, and entered in the harness trade. He established his his business in the old Roberts warehouse at that time. When he had formerly been here his place of business was
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upstairs in the building owned by James F. Ellis, formerly known as the Felix R. Donnelley property. He afterwards did business in various different places in the town. He eventually quit the harness trade and engaged in the busi- ness of moving houses, farming, and herding and caring for cattle and other stock, being at the present time engaged in handling stock six or eight miles east of Remington. Mr. Garrison built a residence in our town in 1866; he also owned forty acres of land southwest of town about one mile. He was not successful while here, but finally moved to his present location, where he has a large tract of land, on which he pastures stock.
Samuel Black was the next man to establish himself in the harness maker's trade, which he did in the year 1871, but he only continued in the business one year, or perhaps a little longer. After living in Remington a few years he thought there were better places, or places where the prospects for money making were better, and accordingly he left here and located in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Black was a strong temperance man, and took an active interest in the raids on the liquor men of Remington in 1872. Mr. C. Cheek was also in the harness business here in 1872 and 1873. He conducted the harness business in the summer season, and the butcher business in the winter sea- son. He finally sold out his business and stock to Charles E. Harlacher. Harlacher continued in the harness trade until about the year 1886, when he sold out to Charles L. Wilson. Mr. Wilson came to Remington on the 18th day of June, 1883, and at once establisned a harness shop south of the depot in a leased house. He continued in business at that place until his entire stock was destroyed by fire. This was a rough blow to fall on Mr. Wilson, as he had no insurance whatever. He then established him- self on South Ohio street, on the 9th day of May, 1884, after which he removed to the J. O. B. McDougle building on the same street, and remained there until he completed his fine, new iron-clad two story building adjoining, into
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OLIVER B. MCINTIRE. (See page 256.)
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which he moved about the year 1888, and has con- tinued in his business there until the present time. The date that he took possession of his new quarters was November 26, 1888. The upper story of his building was designed for offices, and is at present occupied by one lawyer, a merchant tailor, and two sleeping apartments. Mr. Wilson has been very successful, having made and saved a considerable amount of money. He purchased another lot adjoining his business house in 1892. He islocated on South Ohio Street, and carries an excellent stock of goods, being the finest ever carried in Remington. He has had the entire run of the business here until the winter of the year 1893, when Mr. George Wordan established a harness shop a few doors north of Mr. Wilson's place of business. Mr. Wilson has for three or four years past also handled bug- gies and agricultural implements in connection with his other business. He has at present an excellent stock of fine buggies and carts on hand. He is regarded as one of the solid business men of the town .. Mr. George Worden, spoken of above, built a good substantial one story brick building in the winter of 1892, and 1893, and at its com- pletion he placed in it a stock of harness, saddles, etc. Since starting here in this line of business Mr. Worden has seemingly done a very fair business-he keeps a good workman constantly employed. Mr. Warden come to Remington, with his family, from Rensselaer, Ind.
D. W. Green & Co., also, have been for some time past handling a small stock of ready made harness, etc., and when they sold out to Messrs. Allman & Smith, the harness stock was also transferred to them, and this firm has since continued in the business in a small way.
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BILLIARDS AND POOL.
S MITH PAYNE was the first man in Remington to open up a billiard and pool hall. He had a part- ner in the business by the name of Rowels. Their hall was located up stairs in the E. Anglemire building, now owned by Mr. D. W. Green. They took possession during the year 1872. They only continued in business a short time until there were several indictments against them for allowing minors to play. They were therefore compelled to quit, and having bought tables, and other paraphernalia, on time, the property went back to the original owners. Their fines were paid in due course of time. After Smith Payne had been compelled to aban- don the business, another man known as Enoch Pettit established a billiard and pool hall. This he did during the year 1876. He continued in this business only a short time when he sold his tables, etc., to Mr. Patrick H. Lalley, who is still a resident of Remington. Mr. Lalley continued in the business for quite a good while. Mr. Lalley was finally succeeded in this business by one John Hollingsworth, during the year 1879. This Mr. John Hollingsworth sold his billiard and pool tables to the firm of Royalty Brothers during the year 1881. This firm soon dissolved, leaving J. H. Royalty as sole owner of the tables and sole proprietor of the establishment; but soon after this J. H. Royalty took as a partner in the business a Mr. George Shipman, There had, however, during a part of this time, been another table (pool) running in Remington. This table was the one kept in the saloon of Thomas Harris. This table George W. Shipman bought and placed it in the billiard and pool room proper, along with the other tables. The firm of Royalty & Shipman now had a monopoly of the billiard and pool business in Rem- ington. There was still another table in another saloon in the town upon which was played a game called "pigeon
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hole." The firm of Royalty & Shipman were not satisfied until they had secured this table also, which they did by purchase, and placed in their back room. This firm also conducted their business a little bit too carelessly by allow- ing minors to play on their tables, the result being that a certain term of the Circuit Court of Jasper county there were seven indictments found against the firm of Royalty & Shipman by the Grand Jury of Jasper county. These indictments all resulted in fines, and the parties not having the ready money, the billiard and pool tables were seized by the County Sheriff and sold, by which means the fines were liquidated. The tables were then moved to the other side of the street and stored away in the Thomas Harris' saloon. Soon after the firm of Royalty & Shipman were forced to relinquish the business, a Mr. Amos Watson and his son, from Rensselaer, came over here and engaged in the billiard and pool business, in the same room where the old tables were stored. This business was now run for only a short time by Amos Watson & Son, who presently sold out their interest in the tables and business to Thomas Harris, who had previously been burned out in 1884. Mr. Harris had previously had some experience in the billiard and pool business. He continued in the business for about two years, when he in turn sold his tables to a Mr. Charles Robinson. Charles Robin- son retained the business and tables for about one year when he sold the same back again to Mr. Thomas Harris. This latter transaction occurred during the year 1886. Harris was well calculated for this business, and he moved the tables at once back again to the building on the cor- ner of Indiana and Railway streets, where he continued to remain until the fall of the year 1888, when this building, as well as all the other buildings in this block so far west as the alley, were destroyed by the fire fiend. He was now out of business until the fall of 1889, when he leased a portion of the second story of the C. L. Wilson building on South Ohio street. This place, however, did not suit him,
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and he soon concluded to remove again to the room on the ground floor in the building adjoining the Wilson building on the south, owned by Mr. J. O. B. McDougle. Here he remained for perhaps two years, when he again removed his tables to South Railway street, directly south of the depot, in the room owned by J. S. Moorehead & Co., which had recently been occupied by John C. Allman, as a grocery store. Mr. Harris made this move in 1892. He has since quit the business, but still owns the tables.
NEWSPAPERS.
HE REMINGTON JOURAL" was established in Remington on the 3d day of July, 1872, by Messrs. O. E. De Forest and J. E. Dunham. It was a weekly seven column folio, and neutral in politics. They sold this plant to Charles M. Johnson in March, 1873, who continued its publication until Septem- ber, 1874, when it ceased to be published, and the material was removed to Rensselaer, and the paper was there pub- lished and sent to Remington and distributed, retaining its original name of "The Remington Journal," but it was now a political paper, being Republican in political senti- ment. In October, 1874, Messrs. Shortridge & Winegar- den, formerly residents of Francesville, Ind., established a six column quarto paper in Remington, Ind. This paper was Republican in political sentiment, and was called the "Remington Guard." This sheet survived only a few months, and about this time Messrs. A. J. Kitt and A. B. Clark came from Rochester, Indiana, to Remington, and established "The Remington Record." This paper was neutral in politics, and the proprietors continued to pub- lish it until about 1877, when the paper suspended publi- cation. Charles Jouvenat then established "The Reming- ton Times." a neutral paper, politically, and he continued
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the publication of this paper until the fall of the year 1878, when the plant was moved to Goodland in Newton county, Ind., and there taken charge of by A. J. Kitt as editor and publisher. The next man to engage in the newspaper business here was Charles Cox. He was supported by Mr. Osman W. Church, who continued the publication of the paper under the name of "The Remington Times," until January, 1881, at which time William H. Coover assumed the editorial management, and he changed the name of the paper to "The Remington News." After a time this paper again changed hands and it now became the property of Mr. Oliver B. McIntire; but he having other business to call his attention elsewhere, he finally sold the plant to Charles P. Hopkins, formerly of Rensselaer, Ind., who continued to conduct it as a neutral paper until the fall of the year 1888, when he sold it to Mr. George Major. Mr. Major has greatly enlarged and improved this paper, and has increased its circulation to at least double the number of copies that any paper of the town had ever enjoyed prior to this time. Mr. Major, upon his assuming the control of this paper, changed its name from "The Remington News," to that of "The Remington Press." He has kept employed in the office continuously from the date he assumed the management, until the present time, Mr. Frank E. Babcock, who is an excellent compositor, and general newspaper man.
STORMS.
I 2 N the summer of the year 1863, Remington was visited by a very severe wind storm, or cyclone, which did a great amount of damage to the build- ings of the town, that had been then put up. The school house had just been completed, and this storm moved it about eight feet from its foundations. These foundations
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were not very substantial, the number of stones comprising them being too limited, so that when the storm struck the house it was at once lifted off but at once settled partly back, causing the floor to be nearly destroyed. The house that stands on the south line and main street was also . moved off its foundation, being occupied at the time by George B. Clark. The house belonging to J. H. Miller, just northeast of the iron bridge, was also blown off its foundation, the doors torn from their hinges and the win- dows blown out. There were many other houses damaged, and various other injuries sustained by property owners. Nearly all the barns in the town were blown down and the lumber was scattered all over the village. A train that had just pulled in, was standing on the railway track, the engine being cut loose or detached therefrom. The wind storm catching the train of cars, they were moved almost to Wolcott, a distance of about six miles east of the town of Remington, before they were checked. Luckily there was no person injured in any way excepting financially by this storm. This was the most severe storm that ever vis- ited the town of Remington, although we had another twenty years later (July 4, 1883), that almost equaled it. The people of our town were greatly alarmed on both occasions.
POSTOFFICE.
T the beginning of the improvement and upbuilding of our country, or soon thereafter, we had established a country postoffice, known as Carpenter's Creek P. O. It was located near Carpenter's Grove, about one mile northwest. It had for postmasters Henry Downing, George G. Thompson and John L. DeWitt. This post- office was established on the farm then owned by Mr. George G. Thompson, which is now owned and occupied by James H. Green.
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Mr. Thompson continued to act as postmaster until the railway was completed, about the Ist of January, 1860, when the postoffice was transferred to Carpenter's Station, and John L. DeWitt became the postmaster. At that time there was no suitable place in the village for the postoffice; therefore Mr. DeWitt used his private residence as a post- office, a place nearly a half mile south of the railway depot, on the farm recently owned by James Sheetz, now owned by Mr. Galbraith. It remained there, however, only a short time, when it was removed into the building owned by John Wood, this being the oldest dwelling house in the place; being the dwelling now occupied by Mrs. Bartholomew. After a lapse of a few months the office was again moved, this time to the store room recently completed and known as the Bolles store room. This change was made on January 1, 1861. .
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