Cain Township

Cain Township

Ingersol Chapel (Christian), Sec. 33, T. 19, R. 6. Named after the gentleman who gave the land, and contributed very liberally' to the building of the house, which is 32x44 feet. The structure was completed in 1869, at a cost of about $2,000. J. M. Kenfield organized the society with thirty-three members. The neighborhood is pretty thickly settled, and the church and Sunday-sc'hool largely attended. The school has acquired an enviable reputation in this and surrounding townships, for the musical proficiency and abilities of its scholars. A. S. Keer is the pastor, this, his third year. The membership now numbers 150 persons.

Harmony Chapel, Sec. 33, T. 19, E. 7, is occupied by two distinct church organizations, one called the United Brethren and the other the New Lights, who first called their organization the Free Church of Christ, but now style themselves Christian, a claim that is not recognized by the Campbellites. The chapel was built by O. R. Bedford, at a cost of some $1,500. It is a comfortable country meeting-house. A Mr. Vale preaches to the United Brethren and L. Hutts to the New Lights, on alternate Sundays.

Antioch Church, Christian. Sec. 5, T. 19, E. 6. When first organized it occupied what was knoM-n as " Sulphnr Spring School-house, No. 3," built in 1S34, and became known as Sulphur Spring Church. Tiie building now occupied by the society, 36x50, was built in 1872, at a cost of S2,700. It is a neat country chapel exteriorly, and interiorly well furnished and carpeted. It is also very pleasantly located. J. M. McBroom has ofiiciated as pastor of the society since its organization. The membership now is 120. The Sunday-school is a live and progressive institntion. The name given to the church on its removal from Sulphur Spring was the happy suggestion of John J. Rivers, who because the disciples of Christ were first called christians at Antioch, deemed it eminently proper to call that Antioch which first, in this county, sheltered christians. The elder who furnished the foregoing particulars volunteered the statement that Sulphur Spring water had since lost nearly all its sulphur properties, it being now scarcely distinguishable from other water; but as to whetiier an explanation of the phenomenon would require a geological or theological treatise, he was reticent.

by Mr. Frazier, situated about a mile south of Hillsboro. It was built of logs ; the interior dimensions being sixteen feet square or thereabout What there was of the floor was made of boards sawed out with a whip-saw. In the center of the room a large opening (to the ground) was left for a fireplace, to wliich no chimney was attached, tlie smoke being left to find its way out through cracks in the roof, of which there were no lack, it being covered with the very rough clapboards of that period, the clapboards'being held down by weighted poles, pinned to keep them in place. The seats were made of small poles trimmed a little and then pinned to wood bent to answer the purpose of legs. Each row of seats formed a square in the room, the outer one against the wall, the other between that and the fireplace. When fire was necessary, the men, with gallantry more characteristic of the cavalier than of pioneer, surrendered the warmer, inner seats to the women folks and elders; although at times the marrow in their spines congealed at points opposite the liberal openings in the wall, left for ventilating purposes by the architect. The preacher (usually a circuit rider, often a stranger), after preliminary exercises, sermonized to his auditors after the manner of his class; usually with effect, for soon indubitable evidence of sorrow and contrition appeared on the countenances of iiis hearers, particularly of those occupying the inner square, who (he felt), through his eloquence had been brought to realize " the exceeding sinfulness of sin," but it wasn't sin that troubled them, it was smoke, " For the smoke of their torment ascended for ever so long."

In Cain township the present school system has been in operation about fifteen years. The studies include reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, geography, history and grammar, and since 1862 physiology and hygiene. The county board of education select the textbooks, which are consequently uniform. In this county the latest and best havcjbeen selected. The school term is limited by amount of school funds available, 120 and 125 days being the less and greater limits. In the year 1856 the entire school fund amounted to $40. Of the eleven schools in the township ten have male teachers and one a female teacher. Those now having charge of the schools have been selected with special reference to qualifications that render them serviceable as teachers, as well as general abilit}- and fitness. Two of them hold important positions as town and county officers, Mr. M. H. Beaver being county surveyor, and J. F. Davidson, justice of the peace of Cain township. The former is in the line of promotion, the latter in the line of succession. Scholars are admitted into the public schools from six to twentj-one years of age. There are about 400 entitled to school privileges in this township. In the Hillsboro school the average attendance is sixt}'. The teacher of this school, W. F. Ensminger, came from Boone county, Indiana, to Fountain county in the year 1863, at the request of the county officers, who made him county examiner, an officer now called county superintendent. The schools were at this time in a deplorable condition, consequent upon the general demoralization resulting from the war. In his efforts to reform abuses he met with persistent opposition, and even threatened with personal violence; but the bitterness then engendered has long since subsided, and harmony and cooperation have superseded strife. Mr. Ensminger entered upon his labors here at an auspicious period. It was the commencement of a new era of educational progress. The proclamation which gave freedom to the slave unfettered no less eftectually the mental bondage of our then youth, to wliose ardent vision new aims, new opportunities, new possibilities, were unfolding in bewildering profusion ; but the means, the facilities, by use of which they could hope to accomplish these aims, or improve tliese opportunities, and so make of themselves something more than " underlings," were widely lacking or inadequate. New teachers, new methods, new text-books, wherefrom knowledge less antique than Rome Could be acquired, were the demand of that hour, and truth demands the statement that to the impulse tlie public-school system received from the impact of warring civilizations, is due the unprecedented progress education has made and is now making in our land.

The men composing the two secret-order organizations of Cain townsliip represent that elenaent of the population which seeks to conserve the best interests of society by countenancing nothing that will reflect upon their characters, as worthy citizens and men of good repute. Their mission is to illustrate the principle of " man's dependent brotherhood," and to fulfill humanity's obligation - to do good unto others. For the accomplishment of those aims they utilize the strength which lies in union.

Hillsboro Masonic Lodge was organized under a charter dated May 5, 1869, and of the masonic year 5869. The names of the charter officers arc Isaac P. Hartsock, W.M. ; William Holden, S.W. ; "W". H. Glasscock, J.W. Present officers are Frank Hal well, W.M. ; M. H. Beaver, S.W. ; T. C. Barton, J.W. ; C. ^V. Luther, secretary ; J. H. McCormick, treasurer. It has on its roll of membership the names of thirty-five men, who are pledged, in all life business,

Plillsboro Lodge, I.O.O.F., jSTo. 290, was chartered in September, 1867, under officers J. M. Newland, N.G. ; G. W. Hutts, V.G. ; W. M. Leatherman, secretary ; J. N. B. Rice, treasurer. Present officers are A. F. McBroom, N.G. ; B. G. Malioney, V.G. ; B. S. Miller, secretary ; Wesley Armstrong, treasurer. This lodge is flourishing ; own their own hall, wliich is tastefully fitted up, and have funds on hand to meet all contingencies. The orphan fund exceeds $200. Meetings are well attended, and constant interest manifested by the members who, though few in number, are reliable and active. The citizens of Hillsboro could ill afford to witness a dissolution of this organization, and what is more to the point they are not like to.

An organization known as the Hillsboro Brass Band has recently been revived under circumstances that give reasonable hopes of future usefulness. The members express a determination to attain proficiency in their art, and will not be content with a mere local reputation. It is, however, a band's business to educate the musical tastes of the community in whose midst it lives, moves, and hopes to have a being ; and it will be held to be much the band's fault if that community demand nothing more intricate than a ballad, or more modern than a jig. The band as organized contains twelve members, some of whom are expert plavers on their respective instruments. Leader, H. E. Barton ; F. P. Bailey, Charles Finsley, D. P. Heffner, D. V. Youngblood, John Finsley, B. S. Miller, Harvey McBroom, B. B. Young, J. H. Warren, G. W. Booe, B. F. Young, are members.

Cemetery

CEMETERY. Hillsboro cemetery occupies an area of a little over two acres of land, which was set apart for burial purposes at the time the town was laid out, in 1830. It is triangular in shape, Coal creek passing southeasterly along the hypothenuse. From the numerous monuments and headstones visible many interments must have been made since its consecration. The stones and monuments are all, or nearly all, white marble ; some of them are elegant and costly, evidencing not only affection for the departed, but the mourners' cultivated taste. Space will not admit a description of the many deserving mention ; but one, whether one will or no, compels attention by reason of its exceptional appropriateness, a quality due to an unusually happy inspiration of the designer, seconded by the ver^'- elaborate skill of the sculptor, realizing which, the spectator is impressed with the weight of sorrow which required for its expression so fitting a memorial. The raonumeut is a marble cross, about two feet in height, arising from a rough, rocky base which rests upon a pedestal. Over and around the arms and body of the cross vines of the morning-glory, profuse with exquisitely sculptured blossoms, are gracefully wrought and draped ; a delicately carved scroll adorns the center of the cross in front, bearing on its surface the simple legend " Josie." This beautiful testimonial was a husband's last earthly tribute to a wife aged twenty-one years, two months, and six days. But it needed not those sculptured words to tell the stranger that it was for tlic young, the beautiful, the loving, and the loved. If the observer's sight be offended by the few ungainly stumps scattered through the grounds, his mental harmony is restored on beholding that kindly element, whose whirl and flow, whose tremor, gleam and motion comminglingly suit the vicinage of the tomb. A short distance above the northeast corner of the grounds the waters of the creek enter a narrow channel overarched with trees, and reflect in their passage nature's fair mosaic, branch and leaf. Beyond this arch the waters' placid flow is broken, but not nature's harmony; for o'er their rocky bed they sang in rippling, murmuring cadence a requiem to the dead.