Clinton County, Indiana - Chapter 15: Miscellaneous, 1913

Chapter 15: Miscellaneous

"Clinton, an interior county, bounded on the north by Carroll county, on the west by Tippecanoe, on the south by Boon and one the east bv part of the Miami Indian Reserve. Its extent, from east to west, is twentv-five miles and eighteen miles (Note. Error should be 24x17^2) from north to south. It contains 450 square miles, or 288,000 ocres. It was organized in 1830 and contained at that time a population of 1.423 souls. In this county there is a handsome prairie, usually called the Twelve Mile Prairie, extending from northeast to southwest about twelve miles, and, on an average, about three or four miles wide. The remainder of the county is generally timber land, abounding with beech, sugar tree, poplar, ash, walnut, hickory and oak, and an undergrowth of pawpaw, spice, plum and hawthorn. The soil is generally a rich loam, with a mixture of sand, and exceedingly fertile. The chief water courses are the south fork, Kilmore's fork and the middle fork of Wildcat. Frankfort s the seat of justice; and several other villages have been laid off in the county, but none have yet made much progress in improvements or population.''

There was not much more to be said at the time. This Gazetteer mentions only three towns in the county, Frankfort, Jefferson and Michigantown, crediting them with a total of 260 inhabitants, so that the remainder of the population, which at that time was probably less than 2,000, was located on farms. The growth was comparatively slow and chiefly agricultural for a number of years. The State Gazetteer of 1850, which was compiled chiefly by Samuel Merrill, adds little to the information above, except the folowing:

"The population in 1830 was 1,423, in 1840, 7,508, and at present is about 11,000. * * * The soil is mostly alluvial, with a clay bottom. All the grain and grasses common in the west can be produced in abundance. There is perhaps no county in the state better adapted to the cultivation of hay. and tor good pasturage, than Clinton. The surplus articles produced are cattle, horses, hogs and wheat, which are taken either to Logansport or Lafayette on the canal, or to Cincinnati or Indianapolis markets, the value of all which is estimated at 8200,000 anually.

"There are in the county five lawyers, twenty-three phvsicians. five preachers, the usual proportion of the common mechanical trades, four merchant mills, eleven water and two steam saw mills, two carding machines. and school houses, in which schools are kept a portion of the vear in most of the school districts. The taxable land in the county amounts to 238,919 acres. About 4,000 acres still belong to the United States, and some 18.000 acres have not yet been entered five years so as to be taxable."

The population returned by the census of 1850 was 11.689. In i860 it had grown to 14.505: in 1879 d 'vas I7'.33°: in 1880. 23.403. The census of 1840 did not give the population by townships, and gave few details as to the county at large. Of the total population. 7,508. there were 2.916 under ten years of age. There were reported only one school and 45 scholars, which of course is erroneous. There were only 87 persons over 20 years of age who were illiterate.. The bread winners were engaged as follows : In agriculture. 1.069: in commerce. 14: in manufactures and trades. 138: in learned professions. 24.

This decadence of population in the county in the last ten years, especially in the rural districts, where it has been going on for twenty years, here, as elsewhere, has been the subject of much conjecture and many remedies have been suggested for stopping the movement of rural population towards cities and towns. Some of these are reasonable enough. For example, numbers of people have left the country to get better school facilities for their children, and this has been largely remedied by the consolidated high schools in many townships in Indiana. Akin to this is the desire for libraries, which is also being met in many townships. Any township in Indiana can have a free public library under the excellent state laws, and the public library commission is always ready to aid and advise in any movement for a library. Furthermore, any township desiring to establish a free public library can get from Andrew Carnegie a donation equal to ten times the annual library tax for the asking.

Amusements also draw people away from the country, and there may easilv be a large increase of rational recreation in the country especially when consolidated high schols are made civic and social centers for lectures, literary and musical societies, debating societies and other forms of entertainment. The rural mail delivery, telephone, and electric railway service have all been contributing to increase the comforts of country life, and there are certainly now' very few of the hardships left that preceding generations had to contend against.

There is another cause for the movement that is very apparent in Clinton county. The farming land is fertile and well fitted for the use of agricultural implements: and the farmers are wrell supplied with improved implements. For this reason a smaller number of laborers are needed to cultivate the same amount of land than formerly. There are few farmers who have two or three families of tenant helpers living on their places, as they used to do. Not so many hands are needed the year round. The land is so fully cleared that there is a lack of winter work; and in consequence the demand for farm hands is only for limited seasons. It is probable that this phase of agricultural development is chiefly responsible for the decline of rural population in Clinton county.

The First Patent

Among the most prominent of the early physicians of Clinton countv was Dr. J. S. McClelland, of Jefferson. On Tune 4, 1855, he put a card in the Crescent announcing that he had "concluded again to engage in the active duties of my profession," and had associated in practice with Dr. A. O. Miller, of Jefferson. Whether in riciprocity ,or because the information had just come to it, the Crescent on Tune 16 said:

"We have hitherto neglected to notice Dr. McClelland's improved patent buggies. This is the first invention ever patented in our county, and is worthy the genius of the patentee, and the careful attention of our citizens. For want of space we cannot give a full statement of the principles combined in the Doctor's patent. This patent claims a superiority over other carriages, from the cheapness of construction, and the simplicity and durability of the carriage. A rotary motion and uniformity of vibration under different and unequal pressures are obtained by placing a convex bed on three parallel horizontal springs: thus combining the only two separate motions ever claimed for springed vehicles. At a future time we will review this invention at length. These buggies are coming into general use, and we think to a great extent will supersede the elliptic springs."

An Early Protest Against Fire Crackers

In these days of repeated clamors for "a safe and sane Fourth of July," it is interesting to note that what is probably one of the very earliest moves in that direction was the following editorial which appeared under the caption "Mischief" in the Crescent of January 7, 1854:

"We cannot refrain from recording our disapprobation of the practice of bringing to our town and retailing to the boys those articles called firecrackers. Much mischief has already been done, and more may yet be done bv them, and it is time to stop it. We learn that the building on the north side of the square was again fired by them, and we noticed a few evenings since some mischievous boys frightening a fractious horse with them."

A Rossville Philosopher

"We were somewhat surprised on visiting Rossville this week to find that the heretofore strong friends and advocates of the 'Lima,' or 'Ohio, Indiana and Illinois Railroad.' were in a perfect fever of excitement in reference to the proceedings of that company, and the ultimate fall of the enterprise. From the representation of stockholders there, it appears that Rossville has been liberal in her subscriptions to that road, and that a large amount of real estate has been absolutely deeded b the citizens of the village to the officers of the company. They have now lost all hopes that the road will ever be built, and say they are convinced the officers are intent upon the division of the spoils, and leaving them without either a road or returning to them the legal title of their property.

"Our friend, G. G. Moore, is disposed to philosophize over the matter; and says he is 'into' the company a thousand dollars, any way they can fix it. He put his property into the road at sixteen hundred dollars ; the cash value of which is about six hundred dollars; he loses the six hnudred, and they necessarily lose the thousand."

Postal Rates And Customs

The early settlers of Clinton county not only had very poor postal service as compared with the present, but they also had to pay very much higher rates for it. In 1830. when the county was organized, the following rates were in effect, as established by Congress in 1825: On a single letter composed of one piece of paper for any distance not exceeding thirty miles, 6 cents; more than thirty miles, and not exceeding eighty miles, 10 cents; more than eighty miles and not exceeding 150, I2j4 cents; more than 150 miles and not exceeding four hundred, 18^4 cents; more than four hundred miles, 25 cents. A letter composed of two pieces of paper was charged double these rates: one of three pieces triple and four pieces quadruple these rates. For newspapers the rate was 1 cent for one hundred miles and 1F2 cents for more than one hundred miles.

On account of the proportion of rates to the amount of paper used, people cultivated fine handwriting for letters, and did not use envelopes. (17)

The letters were folded with a blank space outside for the address and usually sealed with sealing wax. Mucilage was not then in use. A number of specimens of these early letters are preserved among the old official papers on file at the court house, mostly election returns and other communications that could be sent by mail as satisfactorily as being brought in person.

The Hall Of Fame

In 1904 the board of county commissioners decided to have the walls and ceilings of the court house frescoed and, as a feature of the work, decided to have some portraits of representative men placed in the main corridor. Accordingly, on December 4. 1904. they adopted plans and specifications for the work, and on January 3. 1905. let the contract to Hugh Ranje, of Indianapolis, he being the lowest bidder. They selected three of the men who should be thus honored and left the selection of the fourth to the local Grand Army of the Republic. On February 15. 1905. the Crescent said:

''In selecting John Pence. John Earner and Abner Baker as the men whose pictures are to adorn the ceilings of the court house, in what will in time become known as the Clinton Hall of Fame, the board of countv commissioners acted wisely. The early history of the county is. and ever must be, closely identified with the names of these men. who. in life, did so much toward the development of the county, and whose every act as citizens of the county is above reproach. To them possibly more than to any others does Clinton county owe a debt of gratitude. It is conceded by all that the place of honor rightfully belongs to John Pence, the founder of the city.

"John Earner was a representative citizen in all things, a sturdy pioneer whose memory the people should delight to honor. Fie represents not only the early official life of the county, but its business life as well, and it is fitting that he should have a place in our hall of fame.

"Abner Baker, true to his own convictions, did what he could to locate the county seat at Jefferson, his home. In this he did as his conscience prompted him to do, and none honor him the less for this. He, too, was one of those sturdy pioneers, whose companions were the Indians, and they trusted him as they did a member of their own tribe. The first marriage license issued in the county was issued to Abner Baker. Fie aided in the settlement of the county, was a wise and just man, and farily earned the honor that the countv is to accord him at this late dav.

"The selections made by the board represent the hardy pioneers, business men and officials of the early day. If the selection to be made by the Grand Army will as fitly represent the soldiers of the county, then the Clinton County Hall of Fame has made a fair start."

The Grand Army did quite as weil. for they selected Col. Abram O. Miller, who had a fine record of four years' service in the Civil war. He entered in 1861 as captain of Company C of the Tenth Regiment, but was at once made major, and later lieutenant-colonel of the regiment. He resigned this position to become colonel of the Seventy-second Regiment, in which he completed his service: and was mustered out with the regiment in September, 1865.

In this step the county commissioners in reality made a move towards American art. The Greeks and Romans decorated their buildings with something the people understood - either the gods they worshipped or the heroes of their nation. In most of our public buildings we stupidly copy their work, which means nothing to us, and frequently their inscriptions, which are as meaningless to the masses. Here and there the authorities have sense enough to break away. The Illinois state capitol is very sensibly decorated with scenes from Illinois history. The court house at South Bend has some really fine historical paintings. The Clinton count}- hall of fame portraits, which were painted by William Sachs, may not be of the highest order of artistic excellence, but they are of a high order of purpose and significance.

The Memorial Hai-L Project

On Mae 2. 1905. David F. Maish and others petitioned the board of countv commissioners to appropriate 840.000 to build a memroial hall at Frankfort. The project was an old soldier proposition, to have a patriotic memorial in the shape of a building with rest rooms for old soldiers, and also for the general public. A warm controersv arose over the matter, and on Tune 8 C. M. Walter and others filed a remonstrance against the appropriation. The commissioners took some time to think it over, and on August 8 recommended the appropriation to the county council, which after due consideration decided against it.

The advocates of the project claimed that this did not represent public sentiment, and on September 5. 1906, John Carson and others petitioned the countv commissioners to submit the question to a vote of the people at the November election. The board granted the request and the question was duly submitted. Center township rallied to the support of the appropria-

After further consideration the hoard gave a room in the southeast corner of the basement of the court house as a club room for old soldiers, and it is a popular gathering place for the veterans, who exchange reminiscences and play popular games to pass the time away. This economical solution of the question meets the general approval of the public as well as the old soldiers.

An Old-Time Shot Gun

It was rare that a pioneer had any sort of firearms except "a rifle gun," though there were occasionally muskets and horse-pistols that got distributed through military use. Credence may therefore be given to the following article from the Colfax Standard in June, 1907:

"Cy Ermentrout owns the oldest and largest shot-gun in Clinton county. The gun is a No. 8 gauge, and was purchased in 1857 by Mr. Ermentrout's father, John Ermentrout. It was purchased of Bixler & Iddings, in Lafayette, and this firm has long ago been succeeded bv Mr. Bixler s son. John E. Bixler. At the time it was purchased the gun weighed nearly fifteen pounds, but during the past fifty years the wear on the metal and the drying of the stock has reduced the weight to twelve pounds and twelve ounces, which is still a pretty good weight for a sportsman to carry on a day's hunt.

"The gun is a muzzle loader, made for the use of percussion caps, and is double-barreled, the barrels being made of twisted steel. The art of twisting steel for gun barrels was then unknown in the United States, and the gun was imported from England. The gun has been a factor in dealing death and destruction, and has probably killed a greater amount and a larger variety of wild game than any gun in this locality. It has killed ducks, geese, pigeons, snipes, eagles and sand hill cranes innumerable, besides numerous deer and other wild animals. Jim Wilson, the veteran hunter, who now resides on his farm near Kirkpatrick, stood in the doorway of Mr. Ermentrout's home and killed a large wild cat with this gun. Mr. Wilson was a famous deer hunter, and has the reputation of having killed more deer than any man in this part of the state. He often used Mr. Ermentrout's gun, and killed his last deer with it." original or selected, but the following selections, which have some of the earmarks of originality and are not credited to anybody, will serve to show something of the character of entertainment that was furnished by the local press in early times :

An Evening Reverie The Drunkards Farewell To His Folly

Farewell landlords, farewell Jerry, Farewell brandy, wine and sherry; Farewell horrors and blue devils; Farewell dens of midnight revels ; Farewell shoes that have no soles on ; Farewell fires that have no coals on ; Farewell sots, and all sot feeders ; Farewell rogues, and all thief breeders; Farewell cupboards with no meats in; Farewell chairs that have no seats in ; Farewell children with wry faces; Farewell to these pop-shop races ; Farewell landlords and your spouses ; Farewell spiders and your houses ; Farewell to your drunken rabble; Farewell to your noise and gabble ; Farewell pockets that are empty; Farewell landlords, you have plenty.

Ry Maple Sawdust

It should of course Ire understood that there was an abundance of serious and sentimental poetry, and among the selected poems were numbers from the best poets, as well as fugitive poems that were then making reputations for their authors. The ones given above, however, have the peculiar tang of the humor and thought of half a century ago.

An Object Lesson In Taxation

It is a state tradition that Governor Mount when once addressing the tax assessors of the state, in his capacity of head of the state board of tax commissioners, said : "Now, boys, we are all liars, but let us try to lie on the same basis." What he meant was that they were all violating the law, and their official oaths, which called for uniform assessment at true cash value. Whether he used these words or not. they state exactly the facts as to every tax official in Indiana, from the state board down: and he might have added that they were all criminals, for assessment at anything but true cash values is a penal ofifense. The strangest thing is that this persistent violation of law is not only sustained but actually demanded by public sentiment; and yet it is an absolute detriment to over four-fifths of the voters of the state, most of whom tolerate it because they think the are getting an advantage by under-assessment, when in fact they are victims of overtaxation on account of it. The truth can be illustrated in part by the following assessor's table of valuations in Clinton county for 1913:

One might possibly believe that the average automobile in Johnson township is worth only $235, as compared with an average of $327 in Madison township, though obviously this is not true cash value in either case; but nobody of ordinary intelligence would believe that the average value of a Johnson township hog is only $5, while one in Michigantown township is worth $15. Ordinarily when men see a person escaping just taxation they think of it as an unjust advantage to him, but not as an injury to themselves; vet it is necessarily true that, when one man escapes taxation, the amount he should have paid is paid ultimately by other taxpayers. In other words, about half of the tax that should have been paid by Johnson township hog owners is being paid by the people of the other townships.

As a matter of justice it should be said that this state of affairs - it is much more extensive than appears by this table - is not due to Countv Assessor John L. Schoolev. He has made an effort to get something like equality in assessment, and with some success. For example, the personal property of the Clover Leaf shops, which was assessed in 1912 at $43,650, is raised this year to $93,245. No one familiar with machinery values will pretend that the present figure is true cash value, but it is somewhere near the per cent, that other owners of personal property are paying on. And last year the other taxpayers of Clinton county made up the tax that should have been paid by the Clover Leaf on this $50,000 difference. And no doubt there were widows in Clinton county, who had nothing but a little insurance money at interest, that were taxed on its full value.

There are a few axiomatic truths about taxation that every taxpayer ought to understand, and that very few do understand. Unequal taxation is unjust taxation. In a general property tax such as is used in Indiana, all inequality of taxation is inequality of assessment - the rate is fixed. It is absolutely impossible to get equality of assessment except on the basis of true cash value. Whenever that basis is abandoned, the assessor is trying to steer wfithout compass or rudder. Public sentiment favors the present system because the average man knows his property is not assessed at true cash value, and imagines that he is getting an advantage. In reality the average man is getting the worst of it. and the very wealthy, especially big corporations, are getting the advantage. The small taxpayers are always assessed at more nearly true cash value than the large ones. That is what the present tax law of Indiana was intended to correct by its strict requirement for assessment at true cash value; but unhappily it has never been enforced in anv vear since it was passed.

The primary responsibility is with the state board of tax commissioners, which has. and has always had, the power to raise any and every county to a true cash value basis. And that was the chief purpose for which this board was created by the law. Furthermore, the state board assesses railroad property, and some other property, itself, and it has never assessed any of it at true cash value as required by law. For example, in the year 1904, under the "business administration" of Gov. Winfield Durbin, the state board, including the governor, assessed the railroads of the state at $165,863,367. In the same year the census bureau made an expert valuation of the railroad property of the United States, and found the true cash value of the railroads of Indiana to be $375,541,000.

In other words the state board assessed them at less than 45 per cent, of true cash value. In its last report the state board very forcibly portrays the awful mess it has made by violating the law; but instead of rectifying it bv obeying the law, the members instructed local assessors to assess certain classes of property at 75 cents on the dollar, in order to bring them down somewhat nearer the common level of law violation. At least four-fifths of the taxpavers of the state are being robbed by the existing system; and if thev ever wake up to the fact they will see to it that the law is obeyed.