USA > Indiana > Newton County > Newton County a collection of historical facts and personal recollections concerning Newton County, Indiana, from 1853 to 1911 > Part 7
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On January 29, 1903, Elmer R. Bringham commenced suit in the Newton circuit court, asking that a writ of mandate be granted com- manding the commissioners of Newton county to let a contract for the building of a court house at Goodland.
On February 4, 1903, a change of venue was taken to White county.
Afterward the writ of mandate was granted by the judge of the White county circuit court. An appeal was taken to the supreme court of the state of Indiana, which court did, at its November term, 1903, in a lengthy decision
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(reported in volume 161, page 616, of the reports of the supreme court), decide that the act of March 2, 1899, on which act this case was based, was unconstitutional, and that all proceedings under it were void.
This decision of the supreme court prac- tically ended the long struggle for the removal of the county seat from Kentland. The pro- jection of a new north-and-south railroad through Kentland, connecting it with the northern points of the county, and the building of a new court house, both operated to make the removal less advisable.
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OFFICIALS OF NEWTON COUNTY
T HE following is a list of various officials who have been connected with the gov- ernment of Newton county since 1860:
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JUDGES OF CIRCUIT COURT
Charles H. Test 1860-1870
David P. Vinton
1870-1873
Edwin P. Hammond 1873-1883
Peter H. Ward 1883-1890
Edwin P. Hammond
1890-1892
U. Z. Wiley
1892-1897
Simon P. Thompson
1897-1902
Charles W. Hanley
1902-
JUDGES OF COMMON PLEAS COURT
William C. Talcott
1860-1868
H. A. Gillett
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1868-1873
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NEWTON COUNTY
CLERKS OF CIRCUIT COURT
Zechariah Spitler 1860-1864
E. L. Urmston
1864-1868
Nathaniel West
1868-1870
Andrew Hall 1870-1876
W. W. Gilman 1876-1880
John G. Davis
1880-1888
W. H. Kenoyer
1888-1896
Ira Drake
1896-1904
Reuben Hess
1904-
AUDITORS
Alexander Sharp
1860-1864
John Ade
1864-1868
Alexander Ekey
1868-1872
John S. Veatch
1872-1876
J. Z. Johnston
1876-1880
Alexander Sharp
1880-1883
J. Z. Johnston 1883-1888
Marion C. Coover
1888-1896
Schuyler C. Jones
1896-1905
Alonzo Purkey
1905-1909
Elmer Bringham
1909-
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COUNTY TREASURER
Samuel Mccullough 1860-1864
Samuel Bramble
1864-1868
Alexander Myers
1868-1872
Daniel A. Pfrimmer
1872-1876
John F. Johnson 1876-1880
George Jenkins
1880-1884
Isaac Smart
1884-1888
Samuel Martindale
1888-1892
Alfred Jenkins
1892-1896
William H. Ade
1896-1900
Frank Coovert
1900-1904
Charles Spinney
1904-1909
Albert Schuh
1909-
COUNTY RECORDERS
John Ade
1860-1864
John Peacock
1864-1872
Ezra B. Jones
1872-1880
George M. Bridgeman
1880-1884
Elisha Parsons
1884-1887
Henry Parsons
1887-1888
John Higgins
1888-1896
Albert Boyle
1896-1901
W. H. Boyle
1901-
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NEWTON COUNTY
COUNTY SHERIFFS
Elijah Shriver 1860-1864
Horace K. Warren
1864-1866
Charles Frankenberger
I866-1868
Horace K. Warren
1868-1872
William Patrick
1872-1873
Jira Skinner
1873-1878
Hugh Parker
1878-1880
John Ullery
1880-1884
Samuel Martindale
1884-1888
John W. Randall
1888-1892
Lawrence Graves
1892-1896
Chester Wickwire
1896-1900
Jasper J. Collins
1900-six months
John Wildasin
1900-1904
Henry Stoner
1904-1908 .
Moses Sawyer
1908-
SURVEYORS
Adam W. Shideler
1 860-1864
Barnett Hawkins
1864-1870
Jonas Chambers
1872-1874
Milton Cook 1874-1876
Benjamin Harris 1876-1878
Otis Shepard
1878-1882
NEWTON COUNTY OFFICIALS
167
N. F. Jenkins 1882-1884
Robert Hamilton
1884-1890
Jesse M. Lockwood
1890-1894
Barnett Hawkins 1894-1900
Edward Hamilton 1900-1907
John J. Alter
1907-1909
Greenberry Lowe
1909-
SCHOOLS
A FTER the taking effect of the new state constitution in 1852, and the action of the legislature necessary to put the provisions of the same in force, the present school system came into existence and has continued until the Indiana school system has for several years been a model for other states to follow.
The first school house erected by any organ- ized body in Newton county was in 1854, when a small frame building was constructed in the town of Morocco. It stood about a square north of where the Farmers' Bank is now located, and cost about $300. No better illustration of the advancement made in our system of schools can be shown than by copy- ing the last report of W. O. Schanlaub, super- intendent of schools for Newton county, which he has kindly furnished me for this purpose.
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SCHOOLS
SCHOOL STATISTICS FOR 1908-1909.
Number of teachers employed IO0
Number of township schools 56 Number of commissioned school towns 4
Amount paid teachers in township
schools .
$23,549.13
Amount paid teachers in 4 town
schools 22,670.49
Total amount paid teachers $46,219.62
Cost of maintaining schools, be- sides teachers' salaries
$20,029.02 .
Total amount for improvements
during year-Township
$5,626.32
Total amount for improvements
during year-Town
$20,128.65
.
Total for permanent improve-
ments
$25,754.97 .
Number of children enrolled in town- ship schools ·
1 287
Number of children enrolled in town schools .
1210
Total
.
2497
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NEWTON COUNTY
Aggregate amount paid teachers per day $306.15 Average wage of each teacher per day 2.81
Number of volumes of books in school libraries . 9294
Estimated value of school property -Township ·
· $50,500
Estimated value of school property -Town
103,000
Value of all school property . $153,500
Value of Brook school property · . $30,000 Value of Goodland school property 28,000 Value of Morocco school property . 25,000 Value of Kentland school property · 25,000
Number of common school graduates . 100 Number of commissioned high school graduates . 48
CHURCHES AND PREACHERS
B EFORE going into any general history of church work in Newton county, I want to speak of the work done by individuals rather than by organized congregations. The work to which I refer was done by men who have passed on to receive their reward for the deeds done in the name of their Master. Their lives of self-sacrifice and devotion to duty still de- serve from us a tribute of respect and thank- fulness for the influence they exerted and the examples left to us who are so much more fa- vorably situated than were they. We are now enjoying many blessings which have come down to us through the influence of their lives and their teachings.
The memory of my association with these men is one that I treasure. I was well ac- quainted with all that I may name and I can truthfully claim them as personal friends.
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NEWTON COUNTY
We sometimes fail to appreciate the value a community receives from the life and in- fluence of a good man living in it. In fact, there are many communities to-day that are in- fluenced, morally and religiously, by the lives of men who have passed away years ago, of whom it may truthfully be said, "Though dead, their influence still lives."
One of the neighborhoods most fortunate in the character of the early residents was that on the north side of the Iroquois river, nearly due north of the present town of Kentland. This was known as the Kenoyer and Myers set- tlement. Frederick Kenoyer and Jacob Ken- oyer were father and son, both preachers, and members of the United Brethren church. Jacob Kenoyer was quite prominent in that church. He was a good preacher and also a very fine singer. He opened his meetings by doing his own singing, generally singing some hymn of his own composition. He was con- sidered a fine preacher, well known and re- spected, not only in the church of his choice, but by his neighbors and a wide circle of
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friends and acquaintances. He died on July 23, 1870, comparatively a young man, in his forty-ninth year, honored and respected by all who knew him. The elder Kenoyer was not so widely known. He and his wife both lived to a good old age, dying a very few days apart.
George Myers and Robert Edmondson were both preachers, living in the same neighbor- hood-the Kenoyer settlement. They were good and useful men who have long since gone to their reward.
Two or three miles west of Morocco was what might well be called the Johnson and Archibald neighborhood. Of the Johnsons there were Silas, John F. and Dempsey; and of the Archibalds, William, Robert and James -all men of integrity and uprightness of char- acter. They were all members of the Chris- tian church, and it was due to their influence that the Christian church gained such a strong footing in Newton and Jasper counties, Indi- ana, and Iroquois county, Illinois.
Especially do I want to commend the life work of Silas Johnson and Nathan Coffen-
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berry as preachers and teachers in those early days. Leaving home on horseback Saturday morning, they often rode twenty or thirty miles, preaching twice or three times on Sun- day. On Monday they would retrace their way back to their homes, where they would work the rest of the week on their farms, to provide for the wants of their families. Very often their teaching was misunderstood and misin- terpreted, for we of these days know but little of the strife and confusion existing between the different religious bodies of that time; but every one to-day, who was acquainted with those men, especially Silas Johnson, has only words of praise and commendation for them and their labors. I think it would be safe to state that hundreds of men and women to-day are living lives of faithfulness to the religion of Christ by reason of the steadfastness of these men to their religious convictions.
The Brook neighborhood was equally fortu- nate in the character of their early settlers. There was the Lyons family-John, Samuel and Morris-all first-class men; with Philip
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Earl and Samuel Benjamin-a body of men any neighborhood might well be proud to claim. These, with the Hess families, Andrew and David, gave to that community a safe moral condition which is still in evidence. Their upright examples have influenced not only their own descendants, but all who asso- ciate with them.
MOROCCO CHURCHES
As Morocco was the first town started in the county, and in it was built the first build- ing used and owned by any organized re- ligious body, a description of the same would seem naturally to claim our attention at this time. The building referred to was erected about 1856, on the same site the old log house occupied. It was a good, comfortable build- ing, having two front doors, as all church buildings had in those days-one entrance for the men and the other for the women. At that time it was not thought to be proper for a man and his wife to sit together on the same seat in church.
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The first preachers for the Methodist peo- ple, after I went to Morocco, were James Far- ris, from near Francisville, and Isaac Sayler, living near Rensselaer. They were both local preachers and came to Morocco to conduct services at irregular intervals. The Rev. Farris was the father of the Hon. George Farris, who lately represented the Terre Haute district in congress.
At the present time Morocco has five church organizations, viz., Methodist, United Breth- ren, Baptist, Christian and Catholic, all hav- ing good churches in which to meet.
The First Baptist Church of Morocco was organized in 1897. Pastors who have served said church are : Mr. Faulk, W. C. Carpenter, I. W. Bailey, J. M. Caldwell and F. A. Morrow, the latter still serving in that capac- ity. They have a fine, large building, which cost in the neighborhood of $8,000, and they are now out of debt.
The first Christian church at Morocco, In- diana, was organized in January, 1887, with about sixty-five members, with D. M. Johnson
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as elder, and George W. Murphey, George H. Bell and Theo. F. Clark as deacons. Prior to this time, however, there had been preaching by L. M. McDermott, J. H. Edwards and D. M. Johnson.
A protracted meeting was held a short time previous to the organization, by Elder Craft, at which time quite a number were baptized by him, making a sufficient number to warrant the organization. In the fall of the same year (1887) a frame church building was erected, and on February 5, 1888, the same was dedi- cated by L. L. Carpenter, of Wabash, Indiana. From this time there was preaching by such men as Elders Hubbard, Anderson, McNeil, Shoemaker and Campbell. From January, 1892, until September, 1893, D. M. Honn was pastor. Following him came A. L. Ferguson, S. Moot and W. L. Stein, in the order named.
During 1899 Thomas Shuey held a three- weeks meeting. George W. Watkins served the church as pastor from February, 1900, to October, 1901. He was followed by C. G. Brelas, and it was during the latter's ministry
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that the new edifice was erected and dedicated September 13, 1903, by Charles R. Scoville, of Chicago, who held a two-weeks meeting fol- lowing the dedication.
Following this, the church was served by Frank C. 'Higgins, George Musson, E. C. Boynton, George B. Stewart. Everett Gates, of Chicago, was engaged, closing his work in January, 1909, when L. P. Builta became min- ister and retains that position at this time.
In the month of February, 1910, L. E. Sel- lers and LeRoy St. John held a protracted meeting for the church, resulting in sixty-two additions to the membership of the church, which now numbers about two hundred.
BROOK CHURCHES
The first Methodist church building erected in Brook was a frame structure erected during the pastorate of B. C. McReynolds, in 1886 or 1887, although there had been Methodist preaching in the neighborhood as far back as 1840. The present brick building was erected
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CHURCHES AND PREACHERS
in 1889, and dedicated in January, 1900. The building is centrally located, opposite McKin- ley park. It is modern in its architecture and appointments, and I do not think it would be out of place to say it is a standing monument to the energy and liberality of John Esson, although he was not a member of that church.
The first religious services I attended in Brook were held by the Methodists in 1857, in a new barn on the farm of Morris Lyons. There were two preachers present, one by the name of Johnson, the other called Stevenson, who resided in the south part of Benton county and was afterward appointed chaplain of the 15th Indiana regiment. Mr. Stevenson preached the sermon on this occasion.
He was a man of fine talent and educational ability, but with these qualities he combined a little eccentricity in everything he did. Many funny anecdotes are related of him dur- ing his connection with the army. One story was related to me by an officer of his regiment. While they were stationed in West Virginia, in the early part of the war, a correspondent of
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NEWTON COUNTY
the Indianapolis Journal visited the regiment, and in a letter written to that paper he spoke of Chaplain Stevenson as being a "brick." This was a new term to the chaplain, as applied to individuals, and being uncertain as to whether it was complimentary or otherwise, he took the precaution to inquire of the other officers as to its significance. They informed him the word suggested a man who was tough and im- moral in his character, one who became drunk, and gambled, and had all the other vices they could think of. The chaplain at once opened up a correspondence with the Journal in which he fiercely and emphatically denied the charges made against him in the letter of their correspondent, and wanted it distinctly under- stood that he was not a "brick."
During the progress of the services in the barn above referred to, a hen flew down out of the hay-mow where she had deposited an egg, and, as hens invariably do, she made a great fuss about her achievement, calling the atten- tion of every one to the fact that she had ac- complished something for which she deserved
CHURCHES AND PREACHERS 18I
world-wide fame. As a matter of fact, this method of announcement is not confined ex- clusively to hens. During the interruption Mr. Stevenson stopped his preaching and re- marked, "I wonder what that old hen wants. She can't get religion."
A few years afterward I met Mr. Stevenson and spoke to him, calling him by name. He wanted to know how I knew him. I told him where I met him-at the time he preached in the new barn at Brook.
He said, "Is it possible that you were there when the old hen flew down out of the mow?"
I told him I was there and that, I believed, was the only thing I remembered of his ser- mon.
He laughingly replied, "Well, I declare! I believe that old hen has a more lasting reputa- tion along the Iroquois than I have."
At the present time Brook has three good churches, United Brethren, Methodist and Christian-all live, active, working organiza- tions and each denomination having a good, substantial brick building in which to worship.
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NEWTON COUNTY
KENTLAND CHURCHES
The first religious service in the town of Kent was held in the loft over the storeroom of Ross & Peacock, which stood facing the rail- road, near the site of the present Fletcher blacksmith shop. A Baptist minister preached there a few times during the year 1860. After the Kent Hotel was completed, services were held in the waiting-room by Jacob Kenoyer, a Mr. Bloomer, and possibly by others. After the United Brethren church was built, it was used occasionally by other denominations. A union Sunday school was established and maintained as such for ten years or more, when for some cause or other it split up and separate schools were established.
Prior to the building of the first Methodist Episcopal church building in Kentland, in the year 1870, the following officiated as min- isters for that congregation : D. S. Dunham, in 1861 ; Miles H. Wood, 1862; Mr. Stranahan, in 1863, and E. W. Lawhon in 1864. The lat- ter was the first regularly stationed preacher of
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CHURCHES AND PREACHERS
that church. During the week, he worked for C. Rettinger in his shoe shop, as he was by trade a shoemaker. He was a faithful, con- sistent Christian, carrying on his church work under many difficulties, some of which grew out of differences of opinion arising on account of the Civil War. The violence of the preju- dices at that time it is almost impossible for us to realize in this day.
Following him came Isaac Sailor, in 1865, although he was not regularly located here; H. C. Woodhams, in 1866; Miles H. Wood, 1867; J. M. Blye, 1868. Charles W. Tarr was here from 1869 to 1871, and during his ministry the former church building was erected. He went from Kentland, at the ex- piration of his term, to Los Angeles, Cal- ifornia, where it was a pleasure for me to meet him and his wife in 1908.
G. W. Bower served as pastor in 1872; Wilson Beckner in 1873; Joseph Foxworthy in 1874; H. N. Ogden, 1875; C. B. Mock, 1876; Wilson Beckner, 1877 and 1878; W. G. Vessels, 1879-1880; W. B. Slutz, 1881 ; G. R.
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Streeter, 1882-1883; J. H. Siddall, 1884-1885; Samuel Godfrey, 1886-1887; R. D. Utter, 1888; W. F. Clark, 1889; S. P. Edmondson, 1890; J. J. Claypool, 1891-1893 ; Samuel W. Goss, 1894; A. T. Briggs, 1895-1896; W. A. Matthews, 1897; W. R. Mickels, 1898-1899; J. C. Martin, 1900-1905, and C. A. Stock- barger from 1906 to the present time.
The building mentioned above was dedi- cated July 19, 1870, by John M. Reid, D. D. About $3,000 was raised on that day to pay the indebtedness, the cost of same being about $4,000.
At the time of revising this history (March, 1911) the Methodists of Kentland are prepar- ing to dedicate a handsome new $15,000 edi- fice.
The Presbyterian church of Kentland was organized in 1867, by C. Palmer, of Watseka, Illinois, and occasional services were held in the old court house until 1870, when the con- gregation built a frame meeting-house costing about a thousand dollars. It is still in evidence as a store-house used by Schuh and Son.
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CHURCHES AND PREACHERS
The following ministers served this church :
J. B. Smith ·
1870-1872
R. E. Hawley
1872-1875
C. McCain
1875-1883
Joseph McHatton
1883-1892
R. Hooke
1892-1895
W. E. Price
1895-1898
James Cooper
1898-1904
Howard Billman
I 904-
In 1896 they built a brick building, at a cost of about $1 1,000, which is still being occupied.
The Christian Church of Kentland was or- ganized March 21, 1876. Prior to that time there had been transient preaching by Silas Johnson, S. M. Conner, L. L. Carpenter and others.
May 6, 1876, W. H. Graham, Ezra B. Jones and John Ade were elected trustees and in- structed to purchase the United Brethren meeting-house, which instruction was com- plied with and a deed secured for the said property. This building was used by the Christian church until 1907, when a new
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NEWTON COUNTY
church building was erected on another lot purchased by them. The new building was dedicated December 15, 1907, and cost about $11,000.
In the early existence of this organization the pulpit was filled temporarily by such preachers as A. M. Atkinson, S. Rohrer, J. P. Davis, and others. In 1876 Mr. Hendryx was 2 -
employed to preach for one year; in 1877 J. H. Edwards became pastor, serving some eighteen months. Following him, John Ellis supplied the pulpit half the time, and in the intervals came many other preachers, among whom were William Kraft, Robert Ireland, Ira Chase, S. M. Conner and F. P. Franklin. In 1880 L. M. McDermott preached for this church a little more than a year. For several years the pulpit was supplied temporarily by the Revs. Hires, Henegen, Gilchrist, Hub- bard, Dempsey Johnson, Orlando Johnson, Rodman McIlwain, and others. Mr. and Mrs. Crank were employed to preach in December, 1895, remaining until September 1, 1898.
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CHURCHES AND PREACHERS
Following this Lewis Hotaling supplied the pulpit from October 1, 1898, for two years. In 1900, L. J. Shuey was engaged and served the church a short time, after which H. A. Wingard was minister and served until J. L. Brady was employed, who preached from January 1, 1902 until January 1, 1909. During this period the new church building was erected. From January 1, 1909, until March 1, 1910, J. N. Cloe served as minister, at which last date Mr. Bennett succeeded him as pastor, which brings it up to the present time.
During the early sixties there were a number of Catholic families living in the vicinity of Kentland, and the first priest to visit them came from Logansport, Indiana. Services were held at intervals in the court house until 1864, when J. A. Stephan took charge of the mission. During the same year the first church building was erected. This was a wooden structure, 40 by 60 feet, at a cost of about $1,000.
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In 1872 the present brick parsonage was erected, and in 1888 the present brick edifice, at a cost of $8,000. The old church building, with considerable remodeling, was trans- formed into school-rooms, and is still used as such by the parochial school.
The pastors who have ministered to this ! church (called St. Joseph's) are :
J. A. Stephan 1864-1870
Anthony Messman
1870-1881
F. X. Bumgartner 1881-1883
W. C. Miller
1883-1891
C. A. Ganzer
1891-1893
C. V. Stetter
1893-
GOODLAND CHURCHES
The thriving town of Goodland has six church organizations, all housed in attractive buildings. They are: Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Lutheran and Hol- land. I regret that I cannot give detailed in- formation as to the worthy records made by these churches.
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CHURCHES AND PREACHERS
In this connection I wish to explain that, in neglecting to devote space to Goodland, I have no desire to overlook the claims of Grant town- ship, where I have many friends. This little volume is not a complete history of all parts of Newton county, but largely a record of events and conditions that came under my personal observation. I was familiar with early hap- penings at Morocco, Brook and Kentland, but I never resided in Grant township and have no first-hand knowledge of its history.
The town of Goodland was laid out by Tim- othy Foster in 1861. At that time the town was called Tivola, afterward changed to Goodland-a very appropriate name, taking into consideration the quality of the lands sur- rounding the town.
At that time there were but few settlers in the vicinity of the town, and it was not until about 1870 that emigration set in this direc- tion, principally a kind of flow-back from Illi- nois-very largely from the neighborhood of Ottawa, through the influence of Abner Strawn, who had business investments at
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NEWTON COUNTY
Goodland and also engaged in the purchase and sale of lands in this vicinity. At that time land was so very much cheaper here than in Illinois that many farmers in that state sold out and moved over here, buying land along the line of the railroad from Effner to Wol- cott, often getting three acres in Indiana for the price of one in Illinois. At the present time the land in the neighborhood of Good- land is all under the highest state of cultivation and selling for $150 to $175 per acre. The town itself has made a steady growth, and, in every way, compares most favorably with the other prosperous towns along the Pennsyl- vania railroad.
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