Madison County, Indiana - Chapter 56, 1897

Chapter 56

The old Moss Island Mills that stand now silent and almost deserted, near a beautiful little island in White river, three miles west of Anderson, have a history clustering around them that when referred to brings back recollections of the long ago. They were erected before the railroads were thought of, but about the time of the agitation and construction of the canals ; and in fact were built for the purpose of catching the trade incident to that enterprise. The western branch of the canal passed near these mills, which were located at the nearest available place in the neighborhood of the intended canal, which would give thein a splendid outlet through which the surplus product could be shipped toother ports.

They were built in the year 1836, by Joseph Mullinix. Since that time they have passed through the hands of many persons, some of whom have been prominent men in business, political and social affairs. Frank Davis, L. Brown, Vanpelt & Wyman, John Garretson, James Hollingsworth, Isaac P. Snelson, Nichol & King, Traster Bros., A. E. Russell, William B. Allen, William C. Fleming, Elias Seward, William Dove and Reuben Pulse have each owned the plant. The mills consist of a large flouring mill with a saw mill attached, having water motive power. Steam had not come into use when these mills were erected, and they ground the " grists" of the people by means of the old water wheel, while the jolly miller watched and took his " toll " when the hopper was emptied.

While some of the owners of this property made money, others lost. The improved machinery in mills of the present day, to a large extent killed them off as merchant mills, and the fact that they were so far from the railroads put them to disadvantage as -to shipping, so they have at this time but little to do outside of a small neighborhood grinding. These mills are alluded to elsewhere in these pages.

A Windmill Factory

Prior to the time that the grain separator and threshing machine were combined, there was a great demand for fanning machines, or wind mills, as they were called.

A factory was located in Anderson, and stood on the corner of Main and Ninth streets:, the site of the present location of Daniels Bros', drug store. It was operated by Wolf and Sherman, and a large and lucrative business was the result of their undertaking. It was destroyed by fire in 1851, this being the starting point of the conflagration which swept the south side of the public square, a full account of wiiich is elsewhere given.

The senior member of the firm was Adam Wolf, a capitalist of Muncie ; the junior was Thomas S. Sherman, tlie father of Charles L. and J. E. Sherman, well known to the people of Madison county.

J. E. Sherman is a resident of Alexandria, and was the first mayor of that thriving city, and Charles L. Sherman has for many years held the responsible position of book-keeper of the National Exchange Bank of Anderson.

Laura, the only daughter of Mr. Sherman, is the wife of ex-Senator A. E. Harlan of Alexandria, a prominent business man. capitalist and stock breeder.

The First Four-Story Buildings

Up to the time of striking gas in Anderson, there were but one or two buildings in the city that ran above two stories in height. One was the Odd Fellows" Hall, situated at the corner of Ninth and Meridian streets which is now occupied by the " White House" dry goods store. Another was on the corner of Eighth and Main streets, known for many years as " Union Hall,"' and which was occupied for a long time by the Masonic Order. When the city began to take on a boom after the discovery of natural gas, many three-story buildings sprang up in different localities, but the first structure four stories high was the Masonic Temple on South

Meridian street, erected jointly by the Masons and the Anderson Loan Association during the years 1895 and 1890. The second was erected by John W. Lovett at the corner of Eighth and Main streets, in the year 1896, and is one of the largest and most commodious blocks in the city. We merely make mention of the two buildings as in years to come it may be interesting to the people who live in Anderson to know when and where the first buildings of this description were erected and who the parties were who built them. Should Anderson keep on in its present march of progress it may be within the next decade she will have " sky scrapers " in the shape of nine and ten-story buildings, and perhaps become a rival of Chicago. While we do not make this a prediction we sincerely hope that it will come to pass.

The Pioneer Daily Newspaper

Landmarks have been established on every hand by the different branches of civilization and industry, and the many enterprises of the county have each had a starting point, to which the citizens look back with pride. The press has also its pioneer history which has to a limited degree, been dealt with elsewhere; but in this article we wish to speak especially of the Dailv Bulletin the first daily newspaper ever established in Madison county. There have been other daily papers printed at various times prior to its existence, but they were only for a special purpose, as a rule being gotten out for the period of a week at a time during the county fair, or on similar occasions. The Bulletin is entitled to the honorable title of pioneer. It was the first daily paper in the county that "come to stay," and has through all kinds of weather, fair and foul, stemmed the tide, and is one of the solid institutions of the county. It has handsome and well-equipped quarters on Eighth street, where it daily issues its publication. The Bulletin has no politics, yet it wields a mighty inliuence in the political field. It is outspoken in its advocacy of any candidate whom it thinks is the best man for the place, often coming in contact with a personal friend in its support of a candidate for political preferment. The Bulletin is always on the alert for news, and gives it without fear, favor or affection. It has on all occasions guarded the inter- ests of the people and has never hesitated to call down a dereliction of official duty, although sometimes undergoing the painful task of chastizing a friend, or even a relative. This lias made it a journal of the people. It has enjoyed a large circulation from its infancy to its present days of full maturity.

J. W. Knight Dory Biddle

The originators of this journal were Dorj' Biddle, James W. Knight and Charles R. Craven, the two latter being practical printers. Mr. Craven several years ago retired from the firm, and the remaining members took in new capital and incorporated it as a company, Mr. Biddle and ]Mr. Knight remaining at the head of the concern, having safely steered it through all its ups and downs, and are yet at their posts guiding its destiny. As to the conception and birth of the IhtUe

Bulletin, which was the first daily paper published in the count3',came into existence under peculiar circumstances. Dory Biddle, Chas. R. Craven and J. W. Knight had been left out of employment by the consolidation of the Dcniocrai and Review upon which they had been employed. On Friday afternoon, March 15, 1885, they were sitting around a little coal stove in a printing office run by Geo. Winter, in the Odd Fellow's block, when Craven said ' boys let's start a daily paper." Knigljt and Biddle agreed. Xext Jklondav Craven and Knight went to Elwood and boxed up the material of a little old office there that had been closed for some time and shipped it to Anderson while Biddle went to soliciting for the new paper. By Monday, March 25, they were ready for business. The office had been set up in the north-west corner basement room of the new court house and at 4 o'clock that day the first Anderson Dailv Ihilleiin with Dory Biddle as editor, and Chas. R. Craven and J. W. Knight as business managers and compositors, was printed. The paper for the first week's issue cost .$7.40. The proprietors had exhausted their combined capital, .$27, in setting up the office, and John L. Forkner stood good for the paper bill for them. The paper has been issued every day since and has been successful. December 14, 1880, the office was destroyed by fire and was again burned in the following August. On account of failing health Mr. Craven sold his interest in the office in the summer of '87 to his partners for $400. The paper is now published by a stock company composed of Dory Biddle, editor; James W. Knight, business manager, Frank Makepeace, Frank Lowther and James E. Burke as active members."

When natural gas was discovered in Madison county the Bulletin was one of the prime factors in bringing capital to our midst to utilize it. It not only made free use of its columns to advertise the richness of our find and to attract the attention of the outside world to the ad\ antages possessed by our community, but the members were also liberal subscribers to the fund to raise subsidies to locate manufacturing establishments in our midst.

An E.Mbrvo Theatrical Troupe

away back when it made but little pretentions of being a city the people took a lively interest in what the balance of the world was doing, and were not slow to take up any fad that came along. In the year 1868 there was more than the usual number of minstrel troupes traversing the country, and one of these organizations stranded in Anderson, and some of the party remained here for quite a while.

During their stay many of the young boys became infatuated with the stage and the profession of minstrelsy. A primitive organization of black-faced artists was formed among the boys, under the name of " Peak & Cartwright's Varieties," the leading lights being John Peak and Charles Cartwright.

One of their principal performers was Cliff Dehority, a son of the late Henry V. Dehority. Cliff is yet a living monument of that aggregation, being now a resident of the City of New York.

The company met for rehearsals over the hardware store of John P. Barnes, on the east side of the square, and after a two-weeks' training gave a public performance in Westerfield's Hall to a crowded house. The boys were so well known that a crowd was not hard to "raise" to witness their debut. They surprised even their most sanguine friends in their proficiency. " Tom " Cartwright, a brother of the proprietor, and Cliff Dehority took the house by storm with their "gags," which were all new and original, and of a local nature that made many good hits.

Dehority did a song and dance that would have been a credit to a professional. It is the opinion of the writer that these boys both missed their calling when they did not adopt the stage as a life work. They evidentlj' had ability away above the ordinary, and might have been the equals of Emmet, Billy Emerson, or Primrose and West.

The performance was so well received in Anderson that the company went to Newcastle and gave a one-night's stand, where they were well received and cheered to the echo.

After coming home the party disbanded and the name of Peak & Cartwright's Varieties is only a thing in the memory of the old timers of Anderson. " Tom " Cartwright afterward learned the art of telegraphy, which he followed until