Adams County IN Archives History - Books .....Chapter III M. V. B. Simcoke's By-Gone Days 1896
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 17, 2007, 6:42 pm

Book Title: Reminiscences Of Adams, Jay And Randolph Counties

CHAPTER III.

M. V. B.  SIMCOKE'S BY-GONE DAYS.

    I will give briefly the joys and sorrows that were and is now experienced in
youth and old age.

    I am a native of America, and proud of it. I was born April 11th, 1836, near
Livingston, Overton County Tennessee. The oldest son of James B. and Elizabeth
Simcoke (deceased). The father a native of North Carolina, the mother a native
of Tennessee. Their marriage occurred in March, 1835. Five children were born to
them, two boys and three girls, the subject herself and Andrew Jackson,
Victoria, Mary Brady, and Elizabeth. Victoria, (now Mrs. Hill), who resides in
Decatur, was born in Tennessee in 1838. Andrew Jackson was born in Columbia
City, Ind. He learned the printing trade and was working in the printing office
when he concluded that it would be better to fight for his country, in the late
rebellion, than setting type, and enlisted in the 13th Indiana Cavalry as an
orderly, but soon received a lieutenant's commission. He contracted consumption
and died on board a gunboat on the Mississippi River. Mary Brady was born in
Decatur, and at present lives in Chicago. Sister Elizabeth was born in Decatur,
and died early in life. There are only three of the family living. We were all
raised in Decatur. My father and family left Tennessee for the north in the year
of 1841, landing in Richmond, Ind., remained there a short time thence moved to
Whitley County, Ind., arriving there in wagons after many days' hard traveling,
we settled in the almost dense forrrest, [sic] but the county seat, called
Columbia City, among Indians and wolves; very few white people were there, the
county sparsely settled. Father was a physician and had some practice among the
Indians and. the few whites, until he was selected and elected sheriff and
served one term. In the spring of 1844 he concluded to move to Adams County,
getting there with many difficulties. He settled in Decatur, Ind., where he
engaged in clearing land in the summer and teaching school in the winter, until
the year 1846, when he was chosen and elected sheriff, and served one year. In
the year 1846 he was chosen and elected Treasurer of Adams County and served two
terms. In the year 1852 (his wife) my mother died. The following year he moved
with his children to Cincinnati. The object was to school them and attend law
school himself. After father graduated in law at the Cincinnati Law College, he,
with his family, returned to Decatur, he having married in the meantime an
estimable widow lady who resided near Decatur, with four children, who is now
dead; also three of the four children. One survives them all, Mrs. Mary Eley,
now residing in Decatur. In the year 1853, father was elected County Clerk and
served two terms or eight years. In the year 1868 he left Adams County and
emigrated to California. There he met with business reverses and
disappointments, and soon returned to his old home, Decatur, and remained with
us until 1873, when he left us and returned to his native state, North Carolina;
from there to Tennessee. He made that his home until his death at the age of
nearly 80 years, and was buried on his own plantation in Jackson County, Tennessee.

    To write a history of a fellow's own life is a pretty hard task, as there
are so many thoughts, all conglomerated. Yet I will pen those that will be
interesting to myself and family and a few others who may scan this that will
recollect the transactions. A full history of my career, either private or
public, would be a novel therefore I shall not enumerate all the events of my
life. The first distinct recollection of this turbulent world was when I wore a
little red cape and shoes and scarlet dress. Red seemed to be the color of the
southern people. Yet I did not eminate from Great Britain (directly. The next
recollection was when I saw the first Indian, which I feared then, and even now.
I remember my mother breaking flax and spinning it, the tow pants I wore, the
knit suspenders, the red top boots; and I'll never forget the willow switch she
wielded on my tow covered back for my unfaithfulness. The many times I
accompanied mother to the huckle and cranberry patches, where now stands the
best business part of Columbia City. I well remember the log cuttings and
rollings there, the majority of the help being Indians. On these occasions there
were no jangling, fighting or getting drunk, as I have witnessed in later days
among those that were considered civilized christians. The first school I ever
attended was in an old log house at Columbia City. The school was taught by
James H. Smith, known as "Dandy Jim." He followed us to Adams County and taught
school in Decatur, where I also attended. The next important recollection I have
of this mundane sphere was when we were on our road moving to Decatur from
Columbia City. We stayed all night at Fort Wayne. I discovered a crowd of boys
and men on the street, listening to the music of the fife and drum. I went to
the crowd, and had not been there but a few minutes when I was surrounded by a
crowd of boys. I seemed to be a curiosity, and I concluded at once that I would
soon have to fight or run, and it was for life or a licking. I concluded to run
—I run. The camping out on the road to Decatur was Gypsy like, but we were
compelled to do so, and were several days on the road before we reached our
destination, where we landed about noon, and anchored on the lot now the
southeast corner of Third and Monroe streets. We remained there until we moved
to the jail house, (I mean the sheriff's residence).

    My acquaintance with the populace of our adopted town grew rapidly,
especially with the boys and girls of the village. The first boy I became
acquainted with was DeWitt C. Rugg, a youth near my own age. My mother sent to a
well near by for a bucket of water. There I met young Rugg holding a large gourd
dipper. He remarked to me: "Say, boy, how would you like to be baptized?" At the
same time and moment he dashed the contents of the dipper on my frame. I
concluded I was about drowned. When I recovered from the shock an engagement
ensued with fists, stones and clubs. When the smoke of the battle had cleared
away, we discovered our faces were bloody and scratched. My new calico vest was
in shreds. I found also a knot on my cranium, made by a blow from the old gourd
dipper. Of course the dipper was ruined. That scrap made us fast friends unto
manhood. Another little incident occurred when I was a sprightly youth. The
Smith, alias "Dandy Jim," referred to above, was teaching school. All the
village youngsters attended said school, including myself and one Susanah
McLeod, that was my spouse, and of course I paid my honors to her during school
hours. We would write small thumb paper letters and pass them to each other. The
teacher secured one of the cupid letters. He called me upon the floor, also the
young damsel in question, and related to us that our courtship had went on long
enough, and we must be married. He ordered us to catch hands, which was done
with fear and trembling. The said "Dandy Jim" went through a pow-wow and
pronounced us man and wife. The school generally concluded that we were married
in fact. In the evening of that day the boys and young men of the village
marshalled with all the old tin pans, horns, &c, and visited our homes and
belled us completely. The grown brothers of my Susanah were awaiting the coming
of the mob, and at last they reached the home of the girl, when the brothers
used their whips to a good purpose, and some of the boys remembers well the time
yet, as they did not attend school next day. That act of the teacher caused the
school to dwindle away, and he had to hunt other quarters. Whether the person,
Susanah, is living I cannot say.

    The following occurrence will be remembered by some of the readers of this
sketch. About the time the declaration of war was made against Mexico (perhaps
1847) one Andrew Lucky, a young single man, was teaching school in the Court
House in Decatur. Of course all the village children attended. The history class
was out on the floor in line, reciting, when a knock was heard at the door. The
teacher responded by opening the door. There stood before him and the school his
best friend and chum, Joseph Reynolds, and a recruiting officer in his military
clothes. They invited Mr. Luckey, our teacher, to volunteer. Mr. Reynolds
remarked he would volunteer also. Without hesitating a moment both subscribed
their names and was sworn in, in the presence of the school. He dismissed the
school, and bidding the scholars a good-bye, with tears rolling down his manly
cheeks. That teacher's good-bye still rings in my ears, for it was the last
god-bye [sic] he ever proclaimed to us. The two brave and patriotic young men
never returned; they fell victims to disease on the Gulf of Mexico and were
buried in its waters.

    Somewhere about the year 1848 the court docket will show that a most
horrible murder was committed in Decatur, it being the most outrageous act ever
committed in the county up to that time, and was a great sensation among the
pioneers. A young gentleman (for such he was) and, by the way, a prosperous
merchant in our village by the name of Hugh Muldoon, with no bad habits, was
courting and paying his attentions to a Miss Mary Foetick, who was living with
her parents. She was a beutiful [sic] young lady and accomplished. John Foetick,
a brother of the said Mary, seriously objected to their wooing. Soon the young
couple were engaged to be married, the day fixed and arrived. The invited guests
were on hand. The said brother, John, heard what was going to transpire. He
approached Mr. Muldoon, the intended groom, and frankly told him if he (Muldoon
attempted to marry his sister Mary, he would kill him. Mr. Muldoon paid no
attention to the threat. The party was in waiting for more guests to arrive at
her parents' home. At last the fatal moment came. The pastor asked the young
people to stand and join hands. As they arose and joined hands before those
good, honest, unsuspecting friends and neighbors of the village, the cowardly
assassin rushed in the room and pulling a single-barreled pistol, stuck the gun
to the breast of the defenceless man and fired, the ball penetrating the breast.
The murdered man sprang upon young Foestick and weighed him down to the floor
with a death grip about his neck and would have choked him to death in a moment
had not Jacob King and my father interfered and took Muldooon off. The murdered
man raised to his feet and sprang through a window. He ran across the lot,
striking a fence and fell dead. It was supposed he was unconscious the moment he
was shot. Foetick gave himself up to the sheriff, was imprisoned and tried by a
jury of pioneers of Adams County, and set at liberty. Mr. Foetick left the
country and never returned but once since.

    You can imagine, dear reader, what jolly times us little ones had away back
half a century ago at Christmas and New Year time going from house to house and
scaling logs, dodging under brush and bushes, that stood in our paths. Our
mothers were as jubilant as the children those days. The cakes, pies and krulls
were baked and served to those who called to pass the Christmas or New Years
greeting. One little incident occurred that will never be forgotten by many who
have heard the story. John and David King and myself were on our usual rounds
one Christmas morning, the mud was about as deep as it could get those days,
that winter being an open winter. We called upon one Doctor Little. The doctor
was in bed, but responded to our call. He told us he had got us presents, but
they were in his office (which said office stood about 20 feet away from his
residence. He came out in his night clothes, which made him look little like a
corpse. We were in dread and fear of him at any rate, for he naturally looked
hideous, but we followed him to his office and we went in the office. The doctor
locked the door, which added ten-fold more fear. Our minds began to reconoite to
know what would become of us. He ghost-like walked across the room, got a board
and reached after and picked up a large knife, which I supposed to be a
butcher's knife. He threw the board across his white skeleton legs and began to
whet the supposed knife across the board, and looking up at us with a demonical
look and remarked: "This Christmas morn is your last begging, for you will have
to die, every damn one of you." The only exit to any advantage was a small
window in the rear of the office. As for myself I did not await to hear the word
"die" completely finished. I landed below in the mud, sash and all, and David
King followed, lighting on me and almost burying me in the mud, leaving John in
the hands of the doctor to be carved, but by pleadings of the most piteous was
spared and was released at the door. That settled the Christmas fun of that day.
I feared the doctor so long as he remained in Decatur, and us boys rejoiced when
he gave Decatur adieu.

    The natives of the village were always anxious to hear news, and delighted
when a little puppet show came along to be exhibited in the Court House.
Everybody that could raise a dime attended the first circus that ever struck
Decatur. I think it was the Robison show, that came in wagons and pitched their
small tent on the lot next to the Burt house, east. Their prices were above a
dime, and we boys were not familiar with such prices, consequently we started a
peep show outside the canvass. Occasionally a boy would raise the canvass and
pop in, but would be popped out, then the stones would fly; as we called it, we
peppered the show.

    Jacob Closs was a shoemaker, and us boys would bother him a great deal, but
invariably he would catch us and give us strap oil until we would dance with
rage. I remember well when John King and myself visited another old shoemaker
named Philer. He locked us up in a room and made us eat raw potatoes for dinner
and afterwards gave us bompus with his knee strap. (Bompus was a licking. He
called it bompus.

    The first steam works we got in Adams County was a steam saw mill, brought
to Decatur by Samuel L. Rugg, the founder of Decatur, to saw plank for a plank
road to be built from Fort Wayne to St. Marys, Ohio, through Decatur. The mill
was located on the St. Mary's river southeast of the Court House, where Si
Hammel's mill is located, and near the C. & E. R. R. bridge. There was one
Johnson, a mill wright by trade, came along to finish the mill and he told the
people of the many accidents and blow-ups which were caused by steam power that
caused all the people to fear the business. The children were all warned to keep
away. There were no visitors to bother the workmen on account of the danger. At
last the mill was ready to start up, the log yard was jammed full of fine oak
logs, the building was up and all the steam works to their proper places. Mr.
Rugg concluded to have a jubilee and invited the people far and near to come and
witness the greatest curiosity of their lives, assuring the people of no danger.
The day arrived and with it the people from afar. They came in every conceivable
way to get there. The building was a large two story frame with 4x4 girders
running around the entire building about 4 feet from the ground.

The siding was not nailed on yet, consequently the girders were fine seats for
men and boys, which was filled all around. The population of Decatur ventured to
see the fun. Ladies and gentlemen, with their children, and the elderly people
occupied the log yard, as they feared to venture closer. Everybody awaiting
anxiously to see the thing go. Steam was up, fizzing and fretting, occasionally
the engineer would touch a small steam gage, when there would be a scream from
some woman, perhaps a dozen or more. A thought struck the engineer that there
was fun ahead, and he took the poker and raised the safety valve and let her
off. There never was such a stampede in our day as was exhibited there. Women
fainted and some screamed, ran and fell over everything. Men did not wait to see
if anybody was killed. The girders were empty in a jiffy. Clothing were left
upon the stumps, logs and bushes. Horses ran away, causing havoc among the
natives. All I can remember of it was that infernal blast. I found myself about
two hundred yards from the blow-off and seeing old man Elefritz whiz past me
like a meteor, and likely is running yet. I had crossed a creek near by and
after I came too I was a walking mud boy. One Hobart Scott, a young man then,
jumped in the river and dove down and across the river, a dozen following. My
mother tore her fine calico dress in fragments getting away, and father lost his
fine plug hat. At intervals the engineed would cause a blast from the cussed
thing. There was not a female soul within half a mile of it. The people talked
of killing that engineer, but better heads pursuaded the people to drop it, as
he meant only fun.

    Oh, carry me back to the scenes of my boyhood days. I now often meet old
playmates of our boyhood days and we refer back to some sport we had and talk of
our youthful frolics when the rosy blush of life was upon us and the world was
bright and beautiful, when we had great expectations of still happier days to
come, but they never came and now it is a sweet thought, though sad cosolation
to let memory go back and for a time refresh us with the pleasures that never
will return.

    I was about 14 years old when I went to learn the printing trade. I went to
work in the only printing office in Adams County. Joshua R. Randell was
publishing a newspaper called the Decatur Gazette, a whig paper. I remained in
the office nearly two years, when Mr. John Peterson (father of Lawyer Smith
Peterson, now of Decatur) bought the outfit. I had acquired the printing
business sufficient to manage the business with a little assistance. I induced
my father to purchase the office, which changed the political aspect, and we
have the honor of publishing the first Democratic newspaper in the County,
called the Adams County "Democrat." I worked in the office until my mother died.
I taught school until the year 1856, then I went to Portland and hired with Mr.
John Hoover, who was then publishing the Portland Journal. I remained with him
one summer. Also worked a short time in the Liber Lamp office at Liber college,
two miles south of Portland. My associations with Hon. David Baker, John Hawkins
and Hon. John Peter Clever Shanks while in Portland were very pleasant. Also
many others will remember the many gum sucks, play parties we had. The following
winter I returned home and worked in the printing office until the fall of 1857.
I secured a license to teach school and taught a three months' term in Wabash
Township, called the Meyers school, on the old mud pike, receiving $40 for the
term and paying $12 board, price of board in proportion to wages. After school
term I returned to Decatur and commenced the study of law with Hon. David
Studabaker, remaining at my studies until I was compelled to abandon them on
account of bronchitis. I was admitted to the bar to practice law in 1858, of
which I had a large amount, as the court docket will show. In the spring of 1860
I began the study of dentistry, and finished the profession with Dr. Isaac
Knapp, at Fort Wayne. I returned to Decatur and practiced dentistry successfully
for five years. On the 24th day of December, 1860, I married Mrs. Mary A.
Pierce, of Decatur. Our marriage relations were very pleasant and profitable for
twelve years, when she died of consumption after an illness of about two years.
She was a faithful member of the First M. E. church, also one of the first
members of Olive Lodge, Rebeckah Degree of Odd Fellows. She was also a milliner
and carried on an extensive business. I added to her stock nearly three thousand
dollars by buying out another dry goods establishment and we ran the business
until her death. I sold the store and invested my means in speculations that
proved worthless. I was elected Recorder of Adams County in 1866, served four
years. I joined the Odd Fellows in the year 1863, and when the Knights of
Pythias was first organized in Decatur I became a member and remained with both
orders until I moved to Monroe, in 1878. I have ever cherished the principles of
the two orders, and ever shall. The latch string upon my doors are ever out to
receive an honorable Odd Fellow and Knight. I was commissioned as the first
notary public in Adams County in 1858, and also served as Town Clerk several
terms after Decatur was first incorporated. The many ups and downs from boyhood
to manhood were varied and many. Pleasures and displeasures untold.

I will never forget the beautiful pike and bass fish we used to catch in the
river. The gams of town ball, bull pen, hat ball, tag, hide go seek, were our
merriest times, the sapplings we cut down, the log and brush heaps and stumps we
burned at night and day, where now stands the finest buildings in the city, and
all the renumeration we received was out living, clothing and rosy cheeks, for
which I congratulate dame nature to this day. I remember climbing the little elm
tree (now the beautiful large one that stands near the Court yard) when it was
but a small shade tree. That tree ought to stand there as a memonto so long as
natre [sic] will permit It is the only monument of away back that has stood the
tempests of the element for over sixty years, and when we look upon that old elm
tree and behold its foliage we ought to thank and think of the founder, S. L.
Rugg, of this beautiful growing city, (Decatur, and right here I will say that
there ought to be a statue of Samuel L. Rugg, the founder of Decatur, sitting in
the Court House square, he being the doner [sic] of the lot and square for the
purpose it is used. The citizens of Adams County owes it to his memory.

    The young people of our day were not classified as now, the boys and girls
were friendly, sociable and we all joined hands in the ring round Rosy, also
with the ball and bat the girls were our equals and possessed good manners and
breeding. Our mothers would attend quilting parties, wool pickings and aid each
other in cooking for the log rollers and all other hard tasks that
often-happened in those pioneer days. The log cabins, with a coon skin or a deer
skin tacked up against the outside walls was a palace, and within the walls were
friendly, honest and kind hearted citizens.

    There are but few of the boys and girls of long ago. Many have passed over
the river, and what are left are getting old and soon they too will hand in
their checks.

    In the year 1874 I was united in marriage, with Miss Ada Hendricks, of Adams
County, to whom four children were born, one boy and three girls. Charles M. is
20 years old, Grace and Ivy (twins are 18 years old, and were born in Decatur;
Catherine Elizabeth, the baby, is now 15 years old, and was born in Monroe, our
present place of living. I moved from Decatur to Monroe in the fall of 1878.
Since that time I have been engaged in the drug and dry goods business. I
invested in the mill and factory business, which proved a failure, and at
present am acting as Justice of the Peace for Monroe Township. Yet with all this
and a good comfortable home in Monroe, with no malice to anyone, I and my family
will never forsake nor forget Decatur and its inhabitants.

    I can see what ravages and changes time has made. Let us look upon the city
of Decatur, let what we see testify. A beautiful and growing city lies before
us, the pioneers who watched it in infancy and planted deep and sure the
foundations of its present growth and prosperity, have nearly all passed away.

    Monroe, Ind., June 2, 1896.                    M. V. B. S.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Reminiscences of Adams, Jay and Randolph Counties

Compiled by Martha C. M. Lynch

Ft. Wayne, IN: Lipes, Nelson & Singmaster

Circa 1896

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/adams/history/1896/reminisc/chapteri468gms.txt

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