186 HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

    The Republican party convention of 1890 was held at the McGregor
opera house, July 16, when James A. Mount, of Montgomery county,
was nominated.
    The Democratic party of. the fifth district met in convention, at
Brazil, in 1896, and nominated John Clark Ridpath, of Greencastle.
    Again, the Republican convention of the fifth district was held at
Brazil, February 26, 1908, and nominated Howard Maxwell, of Parke
county.
TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES.

    Under a former township system in the state of Indiana there was
a board of three trustees, a clerk and a treasurer for the transaction of
the public business. But the law enacted by the general assembly of
1859 made a radical change, providing for the election of but one trustee,
upon whom should devolve the duties and service of the five offices under
the previous system. This law provided for the election of trustees
annually on the first Monday of April. Just ten years later, at the session
of the general assembly of 1869, the law was so changed as to provide
for their election biennially, at the regular fall election, making the term
of service two years, and providing, further, that the trustees chosen
at the April election of that year (1869) should hold until the October
election of 1870. This system of township government has now been in
vogue just half a century. The succession in trusteeship in the several
townships of Clay county for this period is here given, with dates of
election to the position.
    Posey: 1859—Adam C. Veach; 1860—Adam C. Veach; 1861----
Henry Rule; 1862—Henry Rule; 1863—George Ringo; 1864—George
Ringo; 1865—James M. Hoskins; 1866—James M. Hoskins; 1867—
Charles W. Bailey; 1868—Charles W. Bailey; 1869—Adam C. Veach;
1870—Adam C. Veach; 1872—Artemas Gilbert; 1874—A. C. Veach;
1876—Philip Boor; 1878—Philip Boor; 1880—C. G. McClintock;
1882—C. G. McClintock; 1884—John G. Scherb; 1886— Sanford
Modesitt; 1888—Sanford Modesitt; 1890—Martin V. Miller; i89i—P.
H. Veach; 1892—George Lehner; 1894—Otho N. Hamilton; 1900—
Marshall Modesitt; 1904—John Grider; 1908—Charles Gillaspie.
    In the month of December, 1891, Martin V. Miller died, when P.
H. Veach was appointed by Auditor Mat. R. Yocum, to serve until the
next election.
    Under a ruling of the Attorney General affecting the tenure of the
Trustee’s office, Veach was succeeded by George Lehner, elected in 1894
for the “short term,” serving the remaining eight months of the term for
which Miller had been elected.
Dick Johnson:   1859—Daniel Dunlavy; 1860—L. R. Torbert;
1861—L. R. Torbert; 1862—Solomon Garner; 1863—Solomon Garner;
i864—Curtis L. Laughlin; 1865—Curtis L. Laughlin; 1866—Curtis L.
Laughlin; 1867—Curtis L. Laughlin; i868—Curtis L. Laughlin; 1869—
Curtis L. Laughlin; 1870—Warren D. Wolfe; 1872—John C. Leachman;
1874—William H. Brenton; 1876—John C. Leachman; 1878—John R.
Webster; 1880—William H. Brenton; 1882—John C. Leachman; 1884—
William H.Cutshall; 1886—William T. Moss; 1888—Granville C.
Brown; 1890—Granville C. Brown; 1894—Marion Garrigus; 1896—
Frank P. Weaver; 1900—B. F. Brown; 1904—William J. Walker;
1908—Niles H. Vegoe.