USA > Indiana > Newton County > Newton County a collection of historical facts and personal recollections concerning Newton County, Indiana, from 1853 to 1911 > Part 10
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rode as far as Bridgeport, where the railroad ended. We started from there to walk to Chattanooga, crossing the Tennessee river on a pontoon bridge. Night overtook us at White- side Station, near what was known as the High Bridge, which had been burned sometime be- fore. Learning that the 9th Indiana Regi- ment was in camp on top of a hill nearby, known as Raccoon Mountain, and having sev- eral acquaintances in that regiment, we made a call and were heartily welcomed. We spent the night there in camp. The next morning we came down off the mountain and took the railroad track toward Chattanooga. We had gone but a short distance on our way when we met General Sherman's men on the march back from Knoxville, and then on their way to Huntsville, Alabama, to go into winter quarters. Their clothes were in rags and many of them were barefooted, but the men them- selves were all right, except to look at. They had been ordered up from Vicksburg, taking part at once in the battle of Lookout Moun- tain and also the battle of Missionary Ridge,
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and after that, had been sent on the march to Knoxville to relieve General Burnside. Now, on their long march back, they were a sorry- looking lot, although they told us the worst cases had been sent down the Tennessee river on boats. Their clothes were mostly in tatters and they would not have made a very fine ap- pearance on dress parade. However, they would have been the equals in fighting qual- ities of any other like number of soldiers on earth. As we passed them on the railroad the continuous inquiry was, "How far is it to Bridgeport?"
Nothing eventful happened after passing these soldiers until about the middle of the afternoon, when we were stopped by a squad on a picket line, who demanded our passes. I had no trouble in showing mine, but William Graves, after a long search, finally concluded that his pass was lost. They were about ready to start with him for headquarters when, after another search, he succeeded in finding the pass. We had a very pleasant visit with these soldiers before again starting. We divided our
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crackers with them, for we were carrying our own provisions. Toward night we reached Chattanooga. As early as possible the next morning we hunted up the parties we had come to see. We found Lawrence Graves badly wounded in the arm, although getting along very nicely. George Dearduff was in the hospital, wounded in three different places, two wounds in the shoulder and one just below the knee. The leg wound was so bad that the surgeons decided to amputate; but George, who was a Dearduff, fought against it so hard that they changed their minds. He said that if he had to die, it would be as the owner of two legs. He was then lying on his back, with his leg in a swing. He remained there for about four months before he could be moved or allowed to go home.
We remained at Chattanooga about a week. I had to leave George Dearduff, but Lawrence Graves secured a furlough and went back home with us. We left there the last day of December, 1863. We walked the railroad track to Bridgeport, stopping for the night in
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a big tent in which were stored supplies for the army. About three o'clock the next morn- ing we caught a freight train and rode to Stevenson, arriving there on the morning of that memorably cold day, January 1, 1864. About daylight we boarded a train going to Nashville and rode all day in a freight car, the coldest day I ever passed through. Wil- liam Graves used to say that all that kept us from freezing was the fact that a bunch of darkies occupied the same car and passed the day dancing and "patting Juber."
We reached Nashville, where we stayed all night, taking a train the next morning for Louisville. This was a passenger train, and we got along very comfortably that day. We were detained in Louisville two days, owing to the floating ice in the river, the ferry boats being unable to cross. We finally crossed and reached home on the first train into Kentland for four days.
George Dearduff came home later, and, al- though he suffered more or less from his wounds the remainder of his life, he lived
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forty-four years, dying October 29, 1907. Wil- liam Graves died December 15, 1908, in the ninety-third year of his age. Lawrence Graves is now living in Oklahoma.
During my stay in Chattanooga a circum- stance happened that seemed a little strange. Before going there, I learned that the 6th Ohio, in which my brother, Joseph, was serv- ing, was stationed there, so I had hoped to have a visit with him. Shortly after my ar- rival, I made inquiry as to the location of that regiment and was informed that the 6th Ohio, with other regiments, had been sent to Knoxville to relieve General Burnside. I then gave up all thought of seeing him, but a day or so afterward, in talking to a soldier, he told me there was a Joseph Ade, of the 6th Ohio, still in Chattanooga. Although his regiment had been sent away, he had been left in charge of the baggage belonging to the regi- ment and not taken on its march. He told me where this camp was, and upon going there I found it was indeed my brother Joseph, the only member of the 6th Ohio Regiment left
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there. I had the pleasure of his company dur- ing the remainder of my stay in Chattanooga.
It was my good fortune, about forty-five years after, to re-visit Vicksburg and Chatta- nooga and note the changes that had taken place-from a condition of war to that of peace. In the first place, we needed no pass from a provost-marshal before we could go where we pleased all over that southern coun- try. Everywhere we went we were welcomed, and it may be truthfully said, "The swords have been beaten into plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks."
On March 11, 1908, C. C. Kent, W. H. Rob- erts and myself took an auto ride around Vicks- burg. We visited the National Cemetery in which are 18,000 graves, 12,000 of which are unknown. These grounds are beautifully kept, and it is a great credit to the nation that the graves of its brave defenders are so faithfully cared for. From there we rode around the lines of the contending armies in 1863, along which are monuments and tablets showing the position of the different divisions of the two
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armies. The government has also constructed a fine macadamized road all along these lines, so that where, in 1863, this part of the country was torn up with zigzag trenches and lines of forts and breastworks, swiftly running autos now glide along smooth roads, and we enjoy the scenes stretched out before us in perfect peace, trusting that the scenes of carnage of that earlier period may never be repeated in our nation.
Vicksburg has not increased much in pop- ulation since the war. Although at that time it was located on the Mississippi river, it is now some five miles from that stream, the river having cut a new channel in its course, leaving Vicksburg that distance inland. To remedy this condition, the Yazoo river, which for- merly emptied into the Mississippi a few miles above Vicksburg, was turned into the old chan- nel of that river, in front of the city, so that at this time Vicksburg is not located on the Mississippi but on the Yazoo river.
From Vicksburg we went to New Orleans, then to Jacksonville, Florida; St. Augustine,
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Palm Beach, Miami, and then to the end of the Flagler railroad at Knight's Keys. We re- turned over the same route to Jacksonville and from there to Chattanooga, where we spent two days, arriving there March 25, 1908.
On Friday, March 27, we first went on Cameron Hill, then around the city, and from there we went through the National Cemetery. We rode out to the Chickamauga battlefield, one of the bloodiest of the war. This battle took place September 19 and 20, 1863. The men on each side numbered about 60,000; the loss on each side was about 16,000, or about twenty-five per cent. of the combined army. Running all through the old battlefields are good roads, along which are monuments, markers and tablets, showing the positions of the different divisions of the two armies dur- ing the two days' battle.
Near Crawfish Springs there is now a large hotel, where we took dinner. In the afternoon we went the length of Missionary Ridge, along which also are monuments and tablets, show- ing where the several regiments of the Union
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army made their famous charge up the steep side of the ridge. We found markers for sev- eral Indiana regiments, among which were the 9th, 15th and 87th, all from our part of the state.
Chattanooga has improved very much since our previous visit in December, 1863. At that time the settled population was about 1,500, and now they claim 75,000.
INGERSOLL'S TRIBUTE
A S a fitting conclusion to the record of our patriotic soldiers, I will quote the won- derful address made by Robert G. Ingersoll, at Indianapolis, September 20, 1876 :
"The past rises before me like a dream. Again we are in the great struggle for national life. We hear the sounds of preparation, the music of the boisterous drums, the silver voice of heroic bugles. We see thousands of assem- blages, and hear the appeals of orators. We see the pale cheeks of women and the flushed faces of men. In these assemblages we see all the dead whose dust we have covered with flowers. We lose sight of them no more. We are with them when they enlist in the great Army of Freedom. We see them part from those they love. Some are walking for the last time in quiet, woody places with the maid-
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ens they adore. We hear the whisperings and the sweet vows of eternal love as they linger- ingly part for ever. Others are bending over cradles, kissing babes that are asleep. Some are receiving the blessings of old men. Some are parting with those who hold them and press them to their hearts again and again, and say nothing. Some are talking with wives, en- deavoring with brave words, spoken in the old tones, to drive from their hearts the awful fear. We see them part. We see the wife standing in the door, with the babe in her arms, stand- ing in the sunlight sobbing. At the turn of the road a hand waves. She answers by holding high in her loving hands the child. He is gone and for ever !
"We see them all as they march proudly away, under the flaunting flags, keeping time to the wild, grand music of war, marching down the streets of the great cities, out through the towns and across the prairies down to the field of glory, to do and die for the eternal right!
"We go with them, one and all. We are by
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their side on all the gory fields, in all the hos- pitals of pain, on all the weary marches. We stand guard with them in the wild storm and under the quiet stars. We are with them in ravines running with blood, in the furrows of old fields. We are with them between con- tending hosts, unable to move, wild with thirst, the life slowly ebbing away among the with- ered leaves. We see them pierced by balls and torn with shells in the trenches by forts and in the whirlwind of the charge, where men be- come iron with nerves of steel !
"We are with them in the prisons of hatred and famine-but human speech can never tell what they endured !
"We are at home when the news comes that they are dead! We see the maiden in the shadow of her first sorrow. We see the sil- vered head of the old man bowed with the last grief !
"The past rises before us, and we see four million of human beings governed by the lash ! We see them bound, hand and foot. We hear the strokes of cruel whips. We see the hounds
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tracking women through tangled swamps. We see babes sold from the breasts of mothers. Cruelty unspeakable! Outrage infinite! Four million bodies in chains! Four million souls in fetters! All the sacred relations of wife, mother, father and child trampled beneath the brutal feet of Might! And all this was done under our own beautiful Banner of the Free!
"The past rises before us! We hear the roar and shriek of the bursting shell. The broken fetters fall! These heroes died! We look. In- stead of slaves we see men and women and children! The wand of progress touches the auction block, the slave pen, the whipping- post, and we see homes and firesides and school houses and books! Where all was want and crime and cruelty and fetters we see the faces of the free!
"These heroes are dead! They died for liberty! They died for us! They are at rest! They sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the sol- emn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful wil- lows and the embracing vines! They sleep be-
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neath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of the sunshine or the storm, each in the win- dowless palace of rest! Earth may run red with other wars-they are at peace! In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they have found the serenity of Death !
"I have one sentiment for the soldiers, living or dead, 'Cheers for the living, and tears for the dead.' "
KENTLAND FIRES
B EFORE the town of Kentland provided itself with the present admirable system of waterworks, it suffered from several severe fires. The first great calamity of that kind came on the night of December 13, 1870, when property to the value of over $100,000 was de- stroyed, without one cent of insurance. The fire originated in the Kent building, which stood on the east side of the present main street, or Third street, facing the railroad (the cor- ner now occupied by Mr. Rettinger's store building). It burned north to the corner now occupied by the Masonic building (corner Third and Graham), and also east along the railroad street, which was then the principal business thoroughfare. Kent's Hotel, which stood on about the present site of the large feed-barn, was one of the buildings destroyed.
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It was a large and pretentious frame building (larger than any frame building in town at present) and shortly before the fire had been purchased by "Doctor" Nichols who was man- aging it at the time. Mr. Nichols is still living in Goodland. About fifteen buildings in all were destroyed.
On Thursday night, June 15, 1882, fire broke out in B. C. Kent's restaurant (which stood on about the present site of the Cum- mings law office), destroying that building and damaging several others. The sufferers were C. C. Brown, I. H. Coulter and Gilbert Goff. The total loss was about $5,000 with in- surance amounting to $3,000.
On Thursday morning, April 5, 1883, Kent- land was again nearly blotted out of existence, twenty-one buildings being destroyed by fire. The loss was over $80,000. Those burned out were the Discount & Deposit Bank; Weedle & Coffman, restaurant; Gilbert Goff, dry goods; C. Rettinger, boots and shoes; D. P. Parks, harness; John Hubertz, residence and saloon; N. Kirsch, residence and saloon; H. 18
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K. Warren, barn; Fred DeVoe, tinware; Chris. Arendt, boots and shoes ; People's Press, printing office; George Myers, barber shop; James Gauthier, groceries ; Keefe Bros., gro- ceries and hardware; Mrs. Hull, millinery; A. C. Vanderwater, general merchandise; Mrs. J. D. Canders, millinery ; W. S. McCul- lough, drugs; Graham & Jones, law office ; G. A. R. hall; Masonic hall; Newton County News, printing office; T. H. Harnish, pho- tographer ; Poole Bros., hardware; John Pea- cock, real estate. There was partial insurance on most of this property.
On Sunday night, December 28, 1884, Kent- land again suffered from a big fire, when the east side of Third street was once more wiped out, from S. M. Noble's store to the Perry cor- ner, north. Loss about $20,000.
On Thursday night, January 5, 1888, the dread visitor again spread ruin in Kentland. This time the west side of Third street suf- fered. The fire started in C. A. Wood's restau- rant, which stood on the present site of the brick building occupied by Judge Darroch
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and others, and spread south and across the al- ley to the north. Those sustaining losses were : T. Cunningham, building, $700; C. A. Wood, restaurant stock, $1,500; Gauthier & Son, building and furniture stock, $2,400. Other small losses aggregated $500.
On Wednesday morning, July 18, 1888, Kentland had another very destructive fire. The Brown elevator, the Bringham elevator, the Pennsylvania Railroad depot and eighteen freight cars were destroyed. The loss was over $40,000.
February 2, 1889, added another disastrous fire to the list. The Smith and Kent block (on the present post-office corner) was destroyed together with contents. The owners of the building, R. C. McCain, druggist, and Gilbert Goff, dry goods merchant, lost about $30,000.
Very early on the morning of February 20, 1890 (shortly after midnight), fire was dis- covered in the dry goods store of Horace Rosenthal, which was in a frame building that stood on the lot now occupied by the McCain drug store. The fire made rapid headway and
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destroyed the Rosenthal stock, also Willis Kirkpatrick's grocery store, Ephraim Sell's hardware store, George Arnout's dry goods store, L. M. Moulton's restaurant, and the I. O. O. F. lodge room. The buildings were owned by Mrs. Payne, John C. Williams and Charles Frankenberger, and the total loss was about $30,000, with $20,000 insurance.
On Sunday night, August 3, 1890, fire broke out in what was known as the Farmers' Alli- ance elevator, which stood south of the track and east of the present elevators. The building had been erected in 1886, and was purchased by Seneca Gilbert a few weeks before it was entirely destroyed. Loss, $27,000 with insur- ance of $1,600.
On November 15, 1893, the Williams Brothers & Company machine shop, west of the present opera house, was burned to the ground. The loss was $4,000 with $1,000 in- surance. A. Heilman's building, also the sta- bles of H. K. Warren and E. S. Steele were burned. The Williams property was shortly afterward rebuilt, and on June 11, 1895, it was
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again destroyed by fire. A residence belonging to John Bush, and occupied by A. A. Padgett, burned at the same time.
On Sunday, May 6, 1894, fire broke out in the rear upper floor of a building occupied by George F. Palmer and J. B. Dickson up-stairs, and by F. M. Oswalt's furniture store below. The building stood on the corner now occu- pied by Reed's furniture store. From that building the fire spread south to the L. W. Ross restaurant, the Harnish building (the up- per floor of which was the K. of P. lodge room), the building occupied by T. H. Bergin and John Van Dyke, also the building next to the alley occupied by John Jackson as a meat market. Loss, $10,000; insurance, $6,000.
On January 15, 1902, fire was discovered in the upper story of the Kentland public school building. It soon gained such headway that nothing could be done to save the structure, which was entirely destroyed. It was a very good building, erected in 1871, at a cost of $23,000, on which there was insurance amount- ing to $8,500. A new school building, more
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modern in character, was immediately erected on the same site.
On Thursday night, April 14, 1910, about nine o'clock, an alarm of fire was sounded and it was soon discovered that the large transfer elevator, owned by McCray, Morrison and Company, and standing south of the Panhan- dle track and east of Third street, was wrapped in flames.
For an hour or two this fire threatened to be the most disastrous in the history of the town, as a gale of wind was blowing from the south- east and large, blazing firebrands fell over the entire business and residence district to the north, but owing to a plentiful supply of water and the energetic efforts of the fire company, assisted by volunteers, who worked on the roofs of threatened buildings, the fire was con- fined to the original building, which was to- tally destroyed, with all its contents. There were about 57,000 bushels of grain in the house, valued at $25,000. The property was valued at about $50,000. The insurance on the building and contents was $55,000.
DOUBLE FATALITIES
A RECITAL of the following tragic occur- rences may not belong to the formal history of this community, but I have ventured to insert them because of the local interest in the sad events.
LULU RIDER AND MABEL ROSS
On Monday, July 8, 1901, two young ladies left Kentland and started on what promised to be a most enjoyable trip to the golden west. They were happy and exhilarated, for they had looked forward through many months to this journey to San Francisco, to attend the international convention of the Epworth League. One of these young ladies was Miss Lulu Rider, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George D. Rider. The other was Miss Mabel Ross, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
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Levi W. Ross. Both were graduates of the Kentland High School, and both left home with the best wishes, not only of their parents, but of the whole community in which they lived.
All went along well on the trip until Wednesday morning at seven o'clock, when their train collided with a freight train on the Chicago & Alton railroad, two miles west of Norton, Missouri. It was a head-on collision, caused, it was stated, by a misunderstanding of orders. The trains met on a curve on a high embankment, while going at high speed. The engines were demolished and the forward cars telescoped, while the foremost Pullman and sleeping cars were burned. The greatest loss of life was in the sleeping cars, among the vic- tims being the two girls from Kentland, also Mrs. F. D. Gilman and Miss Dora Wickwire, of Goodland.
A relief train conveyed the injured to Kan- sas City, where they were cared for at the St. Joseph's and University hospitals. On the journey from Slater four of the injured died,
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among them being Mabel Ross. The same train carried the body of Mrs. Gilman.
Wednesday morning Kentland was plunged into intense excitement, and the families of the two girls almost prostrated, when indefinite news of the wreck was received over the wires. Soon there came a telegram from Dr. Spotts, of Blackburn, Missouri, stating that Mabel Ross had been burned in a train wreck and was in St. Joseph's Hospital at Kansas City. Shortly afterward came a telegram from Agent Cable, of Blackburn, advising that Lulu Rider was severely scalded and had been removed to University Hospital, Kansas City. Meanwhile the two fathers were on their way to the scene of the disaster.
At four o'clock A. M., Thursday, Agent Smith, at Kentland, who had been at the key- board all night, with friends and relatives of the two girls, received a telegram from George Ade, of Chicago, conveying the sad news that Lulu Rider had died at seven o'clock Wednes- day night at University Hospital, Kansas City. Mabel Ross was not mentioned in the dispatch,
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which added that Mrs. Gilman, of Goodland, was among the killed.
A telegram, dated Kansas City, July II, 7:55 A. M., brought the following message :
"Lulu Rider dead, but unable to pick out from others. Come if possible."
At half-past eight o'clock, Harry Davis wired from Chicago that Lulu Rider and Mrs. Gilman were dead and Dora Wickwire had a hip dislocated.
At 10:15 George Ade wired :
"Mrs. Gilman among the dead, and young lady still unidentified."
Was this young lady Mabel Ross? This was the unanswered question that caused a feeling of dread and despondency among all who tried to answer it. There was no break in the silence until after one o'clock, when the last, lingering hope was destroyed by the fol- lowing brief telegram :
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"KANSAS CITY, MO., July 11, 1901.
"I:07 P. M ..
"Girls both dead. GEORGE D. RIDER, "L. W. Ross."
Friday, July 12, 1901, was a mournful day for Kentland, as it witnessed a double funeral. At eleven o'clock A. M., the train bearing the remains of Mabel Ross and Lulu Rider ar- rived here. The bodies were taken at once to the respective homes, accompanied by a large number of sympathizing friends. In the after- noon preliminary funeral services were held in both the Rider and Ross homes. These serv- ices were simple but pathetic. The caskets were then removed to the Methodist church, which was overflowing with mourners and friends, and surrounded by crowds who could not get inside. The Sheldon, Illinois, choir sang several hymns. H. A. Wingard read part of the 23d Psalm. J. Cooper, the Pres- byterian minister, led in prayer, and J. C. Martin, pastor of the Methodist church, preached from the text, "But we sorrow not as those who have no hope."
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It was nearly six o'clock when the separate processions left the church, going in nearly op- posite directions to the cemeteries. Lulu Rider was buried in Mount Zion cemetery, while Mabel Ross was laid away in the cemetery south of Kentland.
These girls had been warm friends, and it happened that their ages were about the same.
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