140. Randolph County Misc.

*****  SATURDAY JULY 27, 2019  4-10 P.M.   "SARATOGA PARTY IN THE PARK"  &  "SARATOGA TOWN HALL MUSEUM GRAND OPENING"  *****


1965.  The McCoys & "Sloopy"

  The McCoys, Union City recording group, will leave today on a short midwestern tour and end up on the West Coast for a possible recording session and several television appearances. The McCoys - Rick Zehringer, 18 years old; Randy Zehringer, 15 years old; Randy Hobbs, 17 years old and Ronnie Brandon, 19 years old - currently have a recording which is climbing the charts in the Midwest. "Hang On Sloopy" on the Bang label has been in the top ten in New York and Chicago and is just now catching on around here. Tuesday, the recording was listed in 31st place in Fort Wayne.
  The group, originally known as the McCoys and later as the Rick - Z Combo and Rick and the Raiders, hope for an appearance on the "Shindig" television show but to date their appearance on that program has not been confirmed.
  The two Zehringer boys, sons of Mr. And Mrs. John Zehringer, and Randy Hobbs, son of Mrs. Letha Nash, are all from Union City. Ronnie Brandon, son of Mr. And Mrs. Lowell Brandon, is from Greenville. All four of the McCoys sing and Randy Zehringer plays guitar, Randy Hobba plays a bass guitar, Rick Zehringer plays drums and Ronnie Brandon plays organ.
  When asked about their name, The McCoys, Rick said that the name was originated about four years ago when Dennis Kelly was a member of the group. However, the name was dropped in favor of the Rick - Z Combo, and later changed to Rick and the Raiders when the group first thought they might make a recording.
  The McCoys are being handled by Celestial Artists, Inc., of New York and are recording for Bang Recording Company, a company which is only six months old but rising fast.
  Randy Hobbs and Randy Zehringer plan to be enrolled at Union City Community high school this year and hope to be back from their tour for the first day of school, September 8. Rick Zehringer will attend the Dayton Art Institute this fall.   Winchester Journal-Herald, August, 1965.



1905. Not Sorry To See Him Go.

  Died - Simeon Calmon, aged fifty-six years. Deceased was an ill-mannered man with an eye for boodle. He came here in the night with another man's wife and joined the church at first chance. He owes us several dollars for the paper, large bills to the grocers and butchers, and you could hear him pray for six blocks. He died singing "Jesus Paid It All," and we think it is right, as he never paid for anything himself. He was buried in an asbestos lined coffin and his few friends threw palm-leaf fans in the grave, as he may need them to keep cool. His tombstone will be the resting place for hoot owls.   Union City Times, May, 1905.



1938. Randolph County's First Air Mail Flight.

  With 3,077 pieces of mail, a warm sunny morning and a crowd which exceeded expectations, the first air mail flight from Randolph county yesterday was a decided success, not only in the minds of those sponsoring the epoch making event but to those on the outside who just watched.
  Everett Cox, Winchester pilot, took off from the field east of Winchester at 9:45 a.m., 15 minutes earlier than scheduled and after circling the field once headed toward Indianapolis, his destination, where he delivered the mail pouches. The early takeoff was due to a strong headwind and Cox was desirous of making Indianapolis on time.
  Weight of his cargo was 58 1/2 pounds, representing letters bound to all parts of the world, 2,060 of which were mailed from the Winchester post office and 1,017 pieces from the other eight post offices in Randolph county.
  Ten postmasters were present at the takeoff and during the ceremonies, first on the program being taking pictures marking the first flight. Everett Cox and Postmaster Charles A. Wall of Winchester, chairman of the county's observance of National Air Mail week, were posed for a picture at the nose of the ship and then the nine postmasters were photographed.
  Don C. Ward, of Union City, gave a short address, being introduced by Rev. Lee Jackson, pastor of the Winchester Church of Christ, who also introduced James J. Patchell, former Union City postmaster, who spoke briefly..
  Prior to the ceremonies at the field, a caravan of cars formed at the Winchester postoffice building and headed by the high school band paraded to the takeoff field. The band also played during the ceremonies.
  This flight will serve to emphasize to a sympathetic and admiring public the service rendered by the air mail, Mr. Ward said. It was in 1918 that the first aerial mailman carried his packet of letters from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia and yesterday's observance was particularly notable because it marked the twentieth anniversary of this modern "pony express."
  The first regular service began on May 15, 1918, between the national capital and Gotham. In the first year planes flew 16,009 miles. In 1937 ships carrying the mail flew a total of 39,958,319 miles. The total weight of mail carried was 473,102 pounds in 1927. Ten years later it was 19,553,543 pounds.
  Beacon lights were installed for night flying in 1923 and this signal system now permits planes to follow their courses all over the country.
The ten postmasters: Ridgeville, John E. McFarland; Modoc, Mary Gwin; Carlos, Arlie Wood; Losantville, Harvey Crouse; Farmland, Jesse Hoppes; Lynn, Clarence Washler; Parker, Lester Dickey; Saratoga, Joe Almonrode; Union City, Orvah Hindsley; Winchester, Charles A. Wall.   Winchester Journal-Herald, May, 1938.



1964.  Killed In Storm At County 4-H Fair.

  A violent wind, rain and hailstorm which struck the Winchester area around 8 p.m. Monday caused the death of a Winchester electrical contractor when a display tent collapsed at the county 4-H grounds during the first evening's program of the week-long Club Show.
  Blair Skinner, 48, crushed between his own commercial display when a 30 by 250-foot display tent collapsed under the pressure of high winds, was dead on arrival at the Randolph County hospital a few moments after the disaster. Skinner was rushed to the hospital in the Civil Defense ambulance.
  Another person in the display tent when it collapsed crawled to safety. A stock show-ring tent, the White River firemen's and Civil Defense tent north of the main building, and the tent adjacent to the main building used to serve meals during the fair, also collapsed. The backdrop for tonight's dress review on the platform east of Husted Hall was blown down.
  County Agent Duke Scaglia said that the show would continue, but as far as could be determined no further tents could be obtained. Total damage was estimated at $25,000. Worse damage was avoided because all the displays had not yet been moved in.
  The disaster occurred as the crowd was listening to results of the 4-H talent contest, and of the day's judging, in Husted Hall, around 8:30 p.m.
  Skinner, proprietor of Skinner Electric Heating and Construction Company was a Whitewater high school graduate in 1934 and an Earlham college graduate. He also studied at Ball State college. For eleven years Skinner coached at McKinley school east of Winchester.
  Survivors include the widow, Louise; three children, David and Jerry at home and Mrs. Marvin Baldwin, Winchester.   Winchester Journal-Herald, August 4, 1964.



1950.  Joe Hamilton And Soup Beans On Wash Day.

  Some place in the back of my mind I have a poignant memory of the "patent" washing machine my parents bought to replace the old fashioned "rocker" job we had used for years. The new machine was one of the marvels of the age, and reduced the drudgery of wash day to an absolute minimum.
  I can see it today as plain as if it were only yesterday that the neighbors were coming in to have a look at the new mechanical wonder and to speculate on what Science would give birth to next!
  This washer consisted of an elongated tub which stood on four wooden legs. The top was entirely covered over with a lid upon which was mounted a flywheel with a gear arrangement which actuated the washer's inward parts. On the outside rim of the flywheel there was a handle with which you turned the wheel like a crank.
  Inside the machine there was a kind of glorified stool arrangement which revolved first one direction and then the other as you spun the flywheel. The milking stool whirled the laundry and agitated the water, causing dirt to vanish with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator. There can be no argument about the improvement this machine made in the home laundry. Turning the wheel was a lot easier and much more interesting to a certain small boy than standing on a box rocking the rocker on the old washing machine.
  But, like all other new departures from the conventional way of doing things, the novelty finally wore off and wash day again became a glamorless ordeal.
  The new washer was so constructed that, by a simple belt arrangement, a gasoline engine could be attached and would do the work of turning the flywheel. I can remember now when the fishing hole beckoned of a summer morning, how I would envy the fortunate families who owned a gasoline engine to turn their washing machines and free their small boys from slavery.
  And turning the washer wasn't all there was for a boy to do on wash day. After the clothes were properly "through the suds" and ready for the rinse water, the big wooden tubs had to be emptied. And the suds wasn't wasted, either. There was the back porch to scrub, the board walk and the other household appurtenances to receive their weekly attention with suds and the "scrub broom." A certain portion of suds was reserved for the monthly rosebush at the corner of the house, and this part of the ceremony was never neglected.
  Such were the duties of a small boy on wash day thirty years ago. But if wash day had its drudgery, it also had certain amenities of which my memory keeps reminding me as I write this piece. One of these pleasant memories of wash day at home recalls the way in which we always observed the time-honored tradition of "cornbread and beans on wash day."
  Since it was necessary to build up a fire in the kitchen wood stove to heat the wash water, it was an ideal time to cook a pot of soup beans. The beans were "put to soak" the night before, and placed on the back of the stove to simmer away the morning through without any special attention. By the time the washing was completed and the clothes hung out to dry, we were always good and ready for pork shank and soup beans cooked by now to delicious tenderness on the slow wash day fire.
  What beans were left from dinner were served again for supper, but this time with dumplings! And say, if you have never ate soup beans and dumplings, don't come around trying to tell me about good things to eat - you just never ate anything good!   The Lynn Herald, Jan., 1950.



1879. Remedy For Diptheria.

  A teaspoon of flour in brimstone in a wineglass of water and stir with your finger instead of a spoon, as sulphur does not readily mix with water. When the sulphur is well mixed, give it as a gargle and in ten minutes the patient is out of danger. Brimstone kills every specie of fungus in man, beast and plants. Instead of spitting the gargle out, swallow it.



1963.  "Charlie" Mader, Saratoga Photographer And Electrician.

  Twenty-five years ago an electrician named Charles "Charlie" Mader decided to install a battery generated electrical plant. Today his farm near Saratoga still receives electricity from the same plant. The plant is located in a small room just off the farmhouse kitchen. "What do you do about repairs?" Charlie was asked, "It never needs any" was his reply.
  Charlie, 70 years old, lives alone on his 50 acre farm - well, not exactly alone. His only companion is a five year old parakeet named "Little Bird."
  I couldn't live without "Little Bird" said Charlie. "He's a lot of company for me."
  A native of Randolph County, Charlie has travelled around quite a bit. He has lived in three states and over 23 towns.
  Charlie liked to take pictures and in 1908 he converted a closet into a darkroom. He still likes to take pictures and uses the same darkroom. He has a collection of cameras and photographic equipment which date back to the early 1900's.
  A glance through his scrapbooks of photographs is like watching local history come alive. There are pictures of early area bands reproduced from tintypes, pictures of Charlie's family and friends taken nearly 50 years ago and many others depicting scenes of long ago.
  Charlie became a professional photographer in 1912 and opened his own studio and also traveled throughout this area taking school pictures.
  In 1916 Charlie went to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad and served as a telegraph operator until 1931. He worked on the railroad from Bradford, Ohio to Chicago, Ill.
  Charlie still has his telegraph key. He keeps it in the dining room and practices sending messages. "I like the sound of it," he said as he tapped out a message.
I'm still as good as I used to be."
  While working for the railroad, Charlie began taking courses at the L.L. Cooke School of Electronics in Chicago and graduated as a qualified electrician in 1928. In 1931 he decided to devote full time to his new career - that of an electrician. Charlie specialized in farm wiring and has done a lot of electrical jobs in and around Randolph County.
  Charlie is retired now and spends most of his time at home with "Little Bird" caring for his farm or taking pictures and enjoying his various collections.
  Charlie's father, Frank Mader, died in 1958. Charlie has a son Russell who lives in Lebanon, Ohio
  Charles Mader, at 70, is a delightful man with a past worth remembering. He lives alone, surrounded by the things he loves.   By Janet Fuller, Randolph County Enterprise, August, 1963.



1938. Windsor "Bootlegger" Arrested.

  Lee E. Barker, victim of a raid at the Crystal Pool resort one-half mile north of Windsor Saturday night, will be taken to Indianapolis today for arraignment in federal court. His wife Penelope Ann, also taken into custody, was released late Saturday night.
  A giant distilling plant, capable of turning out 450 gallons of whiskey a day, was confiscated by representatives of the Randolph County Sheriff's office, state excise officers and state police.
  The officers - Sheriff Lester Mann, Deputy Sheriff Kora E. Davis, Excise officers Walter Krienke, and Kenneth Fair and State Policeman Charles Guffigan - swooped down on the large country estate while the owners were in Indianapolis and made the arrests upon their return.
  After the distilling plant was confiscated, federal officers were called and everything was turned over to them. They said it was the finest still they had ever seen, larger than the well-equipped outfit taken several years ago at the Clyde McGahey place west of Portland.
  Sunday morning Sheriff Mann and Deputy Davis returned to the Barker place, which it is said had been occupied by the new owners since October of 1936, and disposed of the junk which the federal wrecking crew had made out of the plant. Drums and the like were disposed of and the junk metal was sold to Louie Narotsky of Winchester.
  Among other things the Barkers had purchased in Indianapolis was a quart bottle of legal whiskey. Submitting quietly to his arrest, Barker pointed to the bottle and said, "Here's what I drink, none of this 'rot-gut' for me."
  State officers said that the still had been a phantom for several months, since the questioning last fall of a truck driver who was delivering a huge cargo of yeast. The driver was arrested between Gas City and Wheeling, but would not reveal the destination to which the yeast was consigned. Police thought that the yeast was on its way to some "wildcat bootlegger" and had kept a close watch around Wheeling, hoping to uncover the still there. State officers claimed that the plant was found last week after a shipment of sugar had been traced.
  Sheriff Mann said that a shipment of sugar had been delivered to the Barker place within the last week but it was not this shipment which had led to the raid.
  The "cooker," which was of the saucer type, was a large cylindrical tank about 24 inches in diameter and extended from the cement floor of the basement, through the first floor of the nicely furnished farm home and into another floor above. Both of the fermentation tanks were of wood and each held 4,000 gallons of mash. The plant was fully equipped with pumps, reserve electric motors and several hundred five gallon cans.
  To avoid all suspicion, the house was arranged with a garage adjoining, from which alcohol cans were loaded directly on the trucks after they had been driven into the garage and the doors closed.
  Fuel oil for the large 30 horsepower oil burner was concealed in two large tanks that had been taken from gasoline trucks. These were buried in the ground a short distance from the bungalow, with pipes leading directly into the basement.
  Officers said that a "run" would have made within the next three days. Only one five gallon can of alcohol was found, but it was estimated that 9,400 gallons of mash would have been "ripe" within a short time.
  Exclusive of the mash, officers valued the equipment at $7,500. However, a still like the one taken here would probably have brought $10,000 during the prohibition era. It is the kind used by legitimate producers of grain alcohol.
  Large iron gates guard the lane or approach to the house, which had made the raid more difficult. The gates were closed and locked most of the time.
  When Barker was being taken to jail, he remarked to one of the officers, "I want to shut the gates. Someone might drive in." The officer replied, "Oh, that will be all right. They won't hurt anything."
  Taking this as a tip, the officers remained on guard during the night. About 12:30 Sunday morning a large truck drove up to driveway and halted, but seemed suspicious of the surroundings.
  The driver backed the truck and started to leave when Officer Guffigan started in pursuit. The driver abandoned the truck on a curve and leaping from the cab, disappeared into the darkness. The registration card carried the name of Charles Hanley of Indianapolis.
  The truck carried a load of 900 five-gallon empty alcohol cans and 120 bags of a mixture for making mash.
  Officers do not think that any of the alcohol was sold in the Windsor community, but was transported by truck to Indianapolis and certain points in Ohio.
  Federal officers believe that others implicated in the business will be apprehended within the near future.   The Winchester Journal, March, 1938.



1963. Early Randolph County Roads.

This was originally presented by Mrs. Ray Brumfield at a meeting of the Randolph County Historical Society held at the Winchester library.

  According to plans outlined by Rufus Putnam, roads in the Midwest states were laid out on section lines which were determined by meridians. The principal meridians are the Indiana-Ohio state line from a base line on the Ohio river and a second meridian located near Bloomington, with a base line on the confluence of the Little Blue and Ohio rivers.
  There are some half-section roads in Randolph county which have been built to give access to homes established by settlers before the section plan had been determined.
  The first road in the county was the Quaker Trace, which was used as early settlers made their way north from the Ohio river.
  Since the first settlement was in the southeast part of the county in Greensfork township the next road was built in that area into Wayne county.
  The next road came from the south through Winchester, on north to Ft. Wayne and was the forerunner of the present U.S. 27.
  The Bloomingsport road was the next road and in 1819 one from West River township to Winchester was established followed by one from Winchester to Ft. Recovery, known at present as the old Union City road.
  In 1822, the road from Huntsville to Sample's Mill, near Maxville and a road from Winchester to Ridgeville came into existence. These all were dirt roads, fairly good in dry weather but almost impassable in bad weather.
  The first method of improving was what is known as corduroy roads. Trees, which there were plenty, were cut down, the branches thrown the mud holes and the trunks and larger limbs laid close together to make a fairly passable road. But the wood deteriorated rapidly and when gravel became available it began to be used to make roads usable at all times.
  To provide for the upkeep, all males from 18 to 50 were required to work on the roads for two days each year.
  The pikes and toll roads were built by corporations. These were more substantial as was to be expected, and the income or fee charged for using them was applied to the upkeep. They cost about $1,200 per mile to build and a fee of ten cents for three miles was usually charged. In 1874 there were 17 toll houses. Also in that year, there were 21 bridges. There were only 180 miles of roads in that year, 47 miles of which were half-section roads.   Randolph County Enterprise, March, 1963.



1938. Spartanburg State Patrolman Honored.

  A gold medal and certificate for conspicuous initiative and bravery in the apprehension and death of Joe Earlywine, former convict and gunman, was awarded to Patrolman Frank A. Jessup, Spartanburg, of the Indiana State Police Tuesday by the State Police Board, the first ever given.
   Jessup participated in a gunfight with Earlywine at his Danville, Illinois hideout May 2 in which W.R. Ramsey, Jr., an agent of The Federal Bureau of Investigation was killed. The presentation was made in the office of Donald F. Stiver, state director of public safety, by Major Claude Crooks, Lebanon, board president.
  Although Jessup disclaimed any personal responsibility for the Earlywine death, it was understood he braved gunfire by entering the hideout, ran out of ammunition, stepped outside to reload his gun and although wounded re-entered the room. Earlywine fell dead shortly thereafter of bullet wounds.
  Silver and gold medals and certificates are awarded by the police board. However, only silver medals had been given until Tuesday.
  Earlywine was said to have been a member of a burglary gang responsible for approximately 200 crimes in Indiana and adjoining states. A companion, who had spent most of his adult life in prison, was captured.   Winchester Journal-Herald, May, 1938.



1878.  "Blue Jean" Williams, of Winchester, said to a committee of women: "Why don't you stop building fine churches and leave off dressing in such fine clothes? Then you could have more money to help the poor and wouldn't have to come begging of other people!"