USA > Indiana > Tippecanoe County > Past and present of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 39
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boards, white and special colors ; booklined strawboards, for high grade candy boxes : black-lined strawboards for picture backing ; manilla-lined strawboards for folding suit boxes: double-lined strawboards for all special requirements. Also heavy boards for trunk, case and file manufacturers, which is a specialty.
Now, one word as to the supply of raw materials : immediately after each harvest balers are sent forth into the country districts and the straw is care- fully baled while it is dry and bright, all being delivered by November of each year and placed in sheds which keep it in the best possible condition. The sheds at the mills have a supply of from six to eight thousand tons.
The mills are all made fire-proof; are of concrete, brick and iron. The water supply (a thing very important) is derived from twelve eight-inch wells one hundred feet deep, which gush forth their sparkling stream for washing stock and feeding boilers. This pure water feature is one of the great secrets of this plant's unbounded success.
It requires about thirty thousand tons of straw to run this mill a year, all of which is garnered in from the grain fields of this portion of Indiana.
The capital stock of this company is five hundred thousand dollars. The present officers are : Thomas Bauer, president ; J. O. Henderson, of Indian- apolis, vice-president : G. D. Jay, of Kokomo, secretary; B. F. Failey, of Terre Haute, treasurer : J. A. Dolman, of Lafayette, cashier.
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CHAPTER XX.
LITERARY CHARACTERS OF TIPPECANOE COUNTY.
(By Prof. R. F. Hight, Superintendent of City Schools.)
The literary history of Tippecanoe county begins practically with the history of the county itself. Hardly were the people of this community set- tled in their new home when they began their literary labors. Ezekiel Tim- mons taught school about 1828 or 1829 at what is now Fifth and Columbia streets. This pedagogue of the olden time wrote poetry, "not unworthy the perusal of most people." He was one of the first, possibly the very first dis- tinctly literary character in Tippecanoe county.
After Ezekiel Timmons comes a long list of writers whose works have been deemed of sufficient worth to be perpetuated by the art preservative of all arts. It is neither possible nor perhaps expedient to attempt in this article to refer to all those residents of Tippecanoe county who have possessed the ability to write well. The scope of this chapter will be limited to include only the writers of matter of a literary character, which has been published in some permanent form. Even thus restricted the list is long and doubtless some names that should be noticed here are missing. Another consideration that must exclude much interesting matter is the fact that this is merely a history and not a criticism or appreciation of the works produced by Tippecanoe country writers.
One of the earliest of Tippecanoe county's writers was Henry W. Ells- worth. He was the son of Oliver Ellsworth, once chief justice of the supreme court of the United States. He was born at Windsor, Connecticut, in 1814, and graduated from Yale College in 1835. Immediately thereafter he came to Lafayette. At this time he wrote a book designed to infuse enthusiasm into the settlement of Indiana, which he called "Valley of the Upper Wabash, Indiana," with hints on its agricultural advantages. This book was published in New York by Pratt-Robinson & Company in 1838. It is a neatly executed work of one hundred and seventy-five pages. Later Mr. Ellsworth was sent as minister to Norway and Sweden by President Polk. After his return in 1850 he made his home in Indianapolis. Mr. Ellsworth also published poems. some of them appearing in the Knickerbocker Magazine of New York.
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Sanford C. Cox was another of the early writers of this region. He wrote both prose and verse. He was a contributor to the papers as early as 1833 and 1834. In 1859 he contributed a series of articles on "Old Settlers" to the Lafayette Daily Courier over the signature "In cog." In 1860 these articles were collected and revised and, with others added, published in book form with the title "Recollections of the Early Settlement of the Wabash Valley." Lafayette, 1860. Seven years later he collected and published his poems with the title "The Evangelist and Other Poems." This book, which was published by the author, was issued at Cincinnati in 1867 from the print- ing establishment of R. P. Thompson.
One of the very interesting things in the literary history of this com- munity is the number of literary families that have lived in Tippecanoe county. The Wilstachs, the Steins, the Mccutcheons, the Hendersons, the Millers.
The Wilstach family has been a very productive one so far as literary characters are concerned.
John Augustine Wilstach, the father, was born in Washington, District of Columbia, July 14, 1824, the son of Dr. Charles F. and Hanna Whittier Wilstach. Mr. Wilstach was educated at the Military and Academic Institute at Cincinnati, later Cincinnati College. In the leisure he had from his work in the practice of law he produced volumes of verse, "The Battle Forest," New York, 1890, and, "The Angel and the King," and other poems, Buffalo, 1893. He published a translation of Virgil in 1884, and of Dante's "Divine Comedy" in 1888. With the publication of the last two, he issued critical reviews of the literature touching the subjects.
Joseph Walter Wilstach, a son of John A., published in 1885, "Monta- lambert," a biographical sketch of the French historian, orator and publicist.
Paul Wilstach, another son, published in 1891 "Fifty Games of Soli- taire," and in 1908 he gave to the world, "Richard Mansfield; the Man and the Actor," the authorized biography of the great player. It is upon this last work, which is a truly notable biography, and upon his plays that the literary reputation of Paul Wilstach chiefly rests. His plays which have been produced are "Bridget Bluff." "A Gay Deceiver," Washington, 1897, "A Partial Eclipse," New York, 1898, "A Capitol Comedy," Columbus, Ohio, 1901. "Polly Primrose," 1903, "Keegan's Pal," Chicago, 1909. Mr. Wil- stach has also been a contributor of literary and theatrical articles to the monthly magazines. He was born in Lafayette, Indiana, July 1, 1870, a son of John A. and Elbra Cecelia Patti Wilstach. Ile was educated at St. Viateurs College, Bourbonnais, Illinois.
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JOHN A. STEIN
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Another of Lafayette's attorneys whose tastes and labors were directed toward literature was John A. Stein. Mr. Stein was born March 3. 1832, in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. In 1851 he came to Lafayette and engaged in the practice of law, which he continued until his death in 1886. During his work as a lawyer Mr. Stein found time to contribute to periodical litera- ture.
Mrs. Virginia Stein, wife of John A. Stein, now the librarian of the Lafayette public library, has also contributed, chiefly children's stories, to periodical literature.
Orth Harper Stein, the son. was all his life a writer, and contributed largely to periodical literature, both prose and verse. His writing in prose included short stories, sketches, criticisms and essays on current affairs.
Miss Evaleen Stein, the daughter. is not only an author but an artist. Her work, particularly in illuminating, has commanded attention and admira- tion all over the country. Her literary career began as a contributor of verse to the Indianapolis Journal, St. Nicholas, etc., between the years 1886 and 1900. In 1897 her first book, "One Way to the Woods," appeared. It is a little volume of nature poems and lyrics. In 1902 appeared a second volume of verse. "Among the Trees Again." In 1903 appeared. "Troubadour Tales." and in 1906, "Gabriel and the Hour Book." These last are children's stories, both having a medieval setting, and both of a high order of literary merit. Miss Stein was born in Lafayette. She was educated in the public schools of Lafayet.2. graduating from the high school. Her art instruction was received at Chicago Art Institute.
The Mccutcheon family, including the three brothers, George Barr, John Tinney and Ben Frederick, forms a remarkable group. They were born on a farm near South Raub, Tippecanoe county.
George Barr Mccutcheon has been one of the most successful novelists of late days. He was born July 26, 1866. He was educated in the public school of Lafayette and later attended Purdue University. He became a reporter on the Lafayette Journal in 1889. The story of the beginning of George Mccutcheon's connection with the newspaper is interesting. On the evening of August 10, 1887, there was a reception or party of young people at Elston. Leaving the party at a late hour George Mccutcheon walked up to the Junction, where there was at that time a hotel and station, to wait for the night train on the Wabash and ride up town. While waiting there in the station for the train the telegraph instrument began to click. and the operator, after a moment's attention. exclaimed. "Will you listen to that ?" Then he proceeded to relate to Mccutcheon, as the instrument ticked off the
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story, how a train loaded with excursionists, bound for Niagara Falls, had gone through a bridge at Chatsworth, Illinois, and great numbers were killed. When Mccutcheon got up town he went around by the Morning Journal office on his way home, and going in nonchalantly, inquired for any late news of the wreck. The paper, of course, had no news at all, for the messages that the operator had heard were the private railroad reports, and the world at large did not yet know that the wreck had occurred. Finding, as he expected, that the paper men knew nothing of the wreck, Mccutcheon gave them the story and the Morning Journal for many a day boasted valiantly that throughout the length and breadth of the United States only it and the Logansport Journal, which must have gotten the news by some similar acci- dent, published the account of the catastrophe that day. Consequently when a year or so later George Mccutcheon decided to go into journalism he found Mr. French of the Journal anxious to welcome a man with such a well developed news sense.
George Mccutcheon went from the Journal to become city editor of the Courier in 1893. It was in the columns of the Courier that his first story, "The Wired End," was published. His second story, "Graustark," the first to appear in book form, was published in March, 1901.
Since then books have followed in this order: "Castle Craneycrow," "Brewster's Millions," "The Sherrods," "The Day of the Dog," "Beverly of Graustark," "The Purple Parasol," "Nedra," "Cowardice Court," "Jane Cable," "The Flyers," "Daughter of Anderson Crow," "The Husbands of Edith," "The Man From Broadneys." the "Alternative," and "Truxton King."
Of Mr. Mccutcheon's stories, "Graustark," "Brewster's Millions," "Beverly of Graustark" and "The Flyers" have been made into successful plays.
In June, 1902, Mr. Mccutcheon left the Courier and went to make his home in Chicago. Since that time his whole attention has been given to literary work.
He was married September 26, 1904, to Marie VanAntwerp Fay.
Mr. Mccutcheon's pronounced characteristic is his marvelous ability to interest the reader. During his long apprenticeship in journalism he had become thoroughly grounded in the doctrine that what he wrote must interest the reader, and, he has not forgotten. That lesson is shown in all his books. He is pre-eminently a story teller, but not only does he tell a story well, but he tells a story which the reader is anxious to have told. He has the most pronounced skill in the treatment of a climax. No one knows better than
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TIPPECANOE COUNTY, IND. 405
he how to work up to an effective dramatic climax, or how to make the most of it when he has reached it.
John Tinney Mccutcheon, a brother to George Barr Mccutcheon, was born May 6, 1870. John Mccutcheon is best known as a cartoonist and as such there is probably no more widely known man in the United States, but he has also written to a considerable extent. and in his stories he shows the same spirit as in his cartoons. Concerning the characteristics of Mr. Mccutcheon we may quote from George Ade, who says, "He cartoons public men without grossly insulting them. It has not been very many years since the newspaper cartoon was a savage caricature of some public man who had entertained tariff opinions that did not agree with the tariff opinions of the man who controlled the newspaper. It was supposed to supplement the efforts of the editorial in which the leaders of the opposition were termed 'reptiles.' In M1. Mccutcheon's cartoons we admire the clever execution and humor which diffuse all of his work, but I dare say that more than all these we admire him for his considerate treatment of public men and his wisdom in getting away from hackneyed political subjects and giving us a few pictures of that every- day life which is our real interest."
In John Mccutcheon's story. "Congressman Pumphrey; the People's Friend," we have just as truly as in his cartoons "the clever execution," the "gentle humor" and the "considerate treatment of public men" which "diffuses all his work." In addition to "Congressman Pumphrey," Mr. Mccutcheon has published "Stories of Philippine Warfare," privately printed, in which he gives an account of notable happenings while he was with the American army in the Philippines during the Spanish-American war. Three volumes of Mr. Mccutcheon's cartoons have been published, but they are outside the province of this article.
Ben F. Mccutcheon was born May 31, 1875. Like his older brothers, he attended the public schools of Lafayette and Purdue University. Like his brother, George, his first newspaper work was done with the Morning Journal. Afterwards he joined his brother John in Chicago, working on the old Chicago Record. After the fusion of the Record and the Herald he became a financial writer for the Evening Journal. Since 1905 he has been the commercial editor of the Chicago Tribune. Under the pseudonym "Ben Brace," he has published two novels. "Sunrise Acres" and the "Seventh Person." The characteristic of Ben Mccutcheon's work is intricacy of plot, and a foundation for his stories in some unique condition or situation.
Ben Mccutcheon was married June 5, 1900, to Anna Barnes, of Coving- ton, Kentucky.
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Dr. Charles R. Henderson, now a member of the faculty of the Univer- sity of Chicago, was a resident of Lafayette, in his youth. He is a son of Albert and Larainne Richmond Henderson. Doctor Henderson has been a prolific writer on socialistic subjects. These are rather outside the scope of this article and are only referred to, in connection with the work of his sisters, Mrs. Levering and Mrs. Griffith.
A distinctly readable book is Mrs. Julia Henderson Levering's "Historic Indiana," published in 1909 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. It is one of the most pretentious, one of the most noteworthy publications upon Indiana history that has ever been made. The book consists of separate chapters dealing with separate events and phases of development in Indiana's history. The book is brimming with enthusiasm for, and appreciation of, the achievements of the Indiana people. The book is interesting and contains a large amount of information.
Mrs. Levering was born at Covington. Indiana. With her father's fam- ily she came to Lafayette near the close of the war, and it was here that she married Mortimer Levering. Her sister, Mrs. John L. Griffiths (nee Carrie Henderson ), is the author of a book on wood carving.
Melville W. Miller, born in Lafayette, Indiana. June 23, 1856, was educated in the Lafayette public schools and Depauw University, taking his bachelor's degree in 1878 and his master's degree in 1881. He was editorial writer of the Morning Journal in 1902 and 1903. He has contributed verse to various periodicals and written a play. "Find Dobbs." privately printed by the Lincoln Club.
Mrs. Eulora Miller-Jennings, a sister, was also born in Lafayette and received her education in the public schools and Purdue University. She was the librarian of the public library from January, 1887, until 1888. She was married in 1890 to Rufus Jennings and now lives in California. Mrs. Jen- nings is the author of comedies published by French, of New York, as follows : "Mrs. Oakley's Telephone," "Tom's Fiancee," "Dinner at the Club." "Die Prinzessin von Barnhof."
Another among the attorneys of Lafayette with a literary record was Andrew J. Rousch, born August 4, 1833, in Union county, Indiana. He was educated in the common schools, Fairview Academy and Bethany Col- lege, where he graduated in June, 1854. From the winter of 1855 to the summer of 1858 he traveled and studied in Europe, receiving a diploma from the Sorbonne in the spring of 1858. In 1860 he came to Lafayette to live, and remained here until his death. He devoted a large part of his time to literary pursuits, contributing to monthly magazines and reviews.
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Wilson De Witt Wallace was born November 19. 1838, a son of James Wallace, who came from county Tyrone, Ireland. Judge Wallace was born and reared in Lafayette. Ile attended the Waveland Academy in Mont- gomery county. In 1858. he entered sophomore in Jefferson College. Pen- sylvania. and graduated in 1861. He served in the Civil war until 1863 when he was incapacitated by a wound. He had become a second lieutenant in December, 1861, and was made captain in June, 1862. After his return from the army. Captain Wallace studied law in the office of John .A. Stein, and was admitted to the Tippecanoe county bar in 1864. In 1894, he was elected judge of the superior court, which position he held until his death, January 28. 1901. While engaged in the practice of law, Judge Wallace found time to devote to literary pursuits. He wrote a great deal, both in prose and verse. In 1886. he published a novel entitled "Love's Ladder." which ran through four editions. In this novel Lafayette people were able to trace local events and characters which distinctly increased its interest for the people of this community. In 1890, he published a book of verse entitled, "Idle Hours." Captain Wallace was always identified with the literary life of Lafayette and was one of the charter members of the Parlor Club, the oldest literary club of the city.
Mrs. Rebecca Gordon Ball, wife of Judge Cyrus Ball, was another Lafay- ette writer in years gone by. Mrs. Ball was born May 16, 1816, in Phila- delphia. She came to Lafayette in 1837 and lived here until her death, June 30. 1893.
Mrs. Ball was for years a contributor of verse to various publications and the author of anti-slavery stories published in eastern magazines.
Other writers of days gone by who lived at Lafayette were Mrs. Lucy A. Bansemer, Mrs. James Havens. Mr. B. K. Higginbotham and Mr. James G. Kingsbury.
Francis Johnson was born in Rostock in the northern part of Germany in 1837. a son of Lewis Jolson, who was a professor of modern literature and history in the university at Rostock. Mr. Johnson came to the United States with the family and located in Lafayette in 1855. In 1868. he went abroad and traveled in various parts of Europe. Upon his return to the United States, he went, May. 1870, to Chicago and became connected with the Lakeside Monthly. He continued with this publication until the great fire of 1871 destroyed the city. Ile then removed to New York, where he engaged in literary work, among other things, writing articles on European affairs for the Evening Mail. In 1873. Mr. Johnson returned to Lafayette. In 1874. he established a German newspaper, Der Deutsch-Amerikaner, which
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he continued to edit and publish until 1904, at which time his health rendered it imperative that he discontinue the work. He produced many criticisms, essays, editorials and magazine articles that were recognized as masterful. Under the pseudonym of F. Jordan, he translated Muhlbach's "Louisa of Prussia and Her Times," a historical novel-Appleton, 1888. He wrote also, "Famous Assassinations of History," which was published by A. C. McClurg & Co., 1903. Mr. Johnson died March 5, 1908, at Lafayette.
Mrs. Helen M. Gougar was born in Hillsdale county, Michigan, July 18, 1843. Her maiden name was Helen M. Jackson. She was the daughter of William Jackson. Leaving the elementary schools at twelve years of age, she attended Hillsdale College for three years. She then came to Lafayette and began teaching in the public schools before she was sixteen years of age. After four years, she was appointed principal of the Jenks school, and con- tinued in that position until her marriage to John D. Gougar, which took place December 10, 1863. In 1870, Mrs. Gougar began the work by which probably she will always be best known. Her first address in the interest of temperance was made at Delphi, and from that time until her death, she was continuously engaged in promoting the work of temperance and woman's suffrage. Mrs. Gougar was a prolific writer. She contributed extensively to newspapers and magazines, articles dealing with temperance and woman's status before the law. In 1899 she published a story entitled "Matthew Peters, a Foreign Immigrant." In 1904 appeared "Forty Thousand Miles of World's Wanderings." Mrs. Gougar had a national reputation, and as an advocate of her reforms, was regarded as one of the most remarkable women the country has ever produced.
Mrs. Gougar's sister, Mrs. William Houk, of Joplin, Missouri, lived in Lafayette at one time. From here she went to Cincinnati where she was a staff correspondent for the Scrips' syndicate. At Cincinnati, in 1893, she pub- lished, under her maiden name, Edna C. Jackson, "Women Wealth Winners." with an introduction by Mrs. Gougar.
An interesting figure among the authors of this community is Reed Beard. Mr. Beard, who was born August 31. 1862, in Iowa, became totally blind in infancy. In the year of his birth his parents removed to Indiana, and at the age of ten he entered the Indiana Institute for the Education of the Blind, from which he graduated in 1880. Mr. Beard's claim to attention in this connection arises from his book. "The Battle of Tippecanoe," written in collaboration with B. Wilson Smith, published at Lafayette, 1889, and to his later volume, "Lives of the Presidents of the United States."
TIPPECANOE COUNTY, IND.
George Ade established his connection with Tippecanoe county through Purdue University. Mr. Ade was born at Kentland. Indiana, February 9. 1866. He came to Lafayette and entered Purdue in September, 1883. After his graduation in 1887 he entered upon newspaper work in Lafayette. Ilis first work here was done for the Lafayette Morning News, a paper which had been started for the purpose of urging Benjamin Harrison for the presidency, but the paper died before it succeeded in putting Mr. Harrison in the presi- dential chair, and George Ade went to work for the Evening Call. He continued to live in Lafayette until 1890 when he went to Chicago to join his friend, John Mccutcheon, who had gone to Chicago a year previous. His first work was on the Morning News, which was afterward called The Record. In 1893, under the influence of the World's Fair, the Chicago papers offered a little more latitude to their writers, and Mr. Ade got an opportunity to step out of the beaten path of a newspaper reporter. Ile wrote world's fair stories as long as the exposition lasted, and then, when there was no longer a world's fair to write stories about, he wrote Chicago stories about people and things in Chicago, and called them, "Stories of the Streets and of the Town." Mr. Ade's first book was a collection of these stories, privately printed, and entitled "Stories of the Streets and of the Town." Reprinted from the Chicago Record, 1891.
In 1895. he wrote a story of a church entertainment in which a young man named Artie, who used picturesque slang, was the central figure. The story was heard from so much that other Artie stories followed. In 1890. Mr. Ade's attention was called to the fable, and he began to use it in con- nection with the slang in his work. These fables were instantly popular, and by them Mr. Ade is perhaps best known. The fables have been syndicated by the newspapers and printed from one end of the country to the other. In addition to this, seven volumes of these slang fables have been published : "Fables in Slang." "More Fables." "Forty Modern Fables." "The Girl Prop- osition." "Breaking Into Society." "True Bills," and "People You Know;" in addition to these. "Artie." "Pink Marsh." and "Doc Horne," while more or less connected stories, partake almost of the nature of the "Fables in Slang." not only by style of treatment, but by their tendency to philosophically set forth human frailties and shams.
"Circus Day" and the "Slim Princess" are humorous stories along more conventional lines. "In Pastures New" is a humorous account, more or less accurate, of a trip to Europe and Egypt. The libretto of "The Sultan of Sulu" has been published in book form. "In Babel" is a collection of stories of Chicago, in which the slang element does not appear, but which are chair-
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