HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                  299

Indiana Patriot, the first newspaper published at Greencastle, and his
ready pen ever used with ability in the discussion of political and social
topics.
    In his early life Judge Eckels became a firm and steadfast member
of the Christian church, devoting much of his time to church work,
preaching, exhorting and administering baptism. Politically, he was an
ardent and uncompromising Democrat, and in the divided party of the
campaign of 1860, cast his fortunes and influence with the Breckinridge
faction. As a man, he was universally honored for his uprightness, hon-
esty and generosity. Judicially, he discharged his duties fearlessly and
with marked ability and fairness. Though not a native nor adopted Clay
countian, the subject of this sketch was so well and favorably known to
Clay county people as an attorney at the bar and judge of the Clay circuit
court as to warrant a brief and respectful notice of his life and times in
Clay county history. His death occurred November 5, 1888, aged 82
years, 2 months and 10 days. The funeral was attended, on behalf of the
Clay county bar, by Hon. George A. Knight, who participated as one of
the six pall-bearers.

    John S. Donham, native of Clay county, born in Perry township, May
4, 1834; brought up on the farm, attending public school in winter sea-
sons; began teaching in 1856 and taught consecutively every winter up
to and including that of 1870-’71, then took a contract to construct a mile
of grade on the Terre Haute & Cincinnati Railroad, which he completed
in 1872. In 1859 he was elected township assessor. In 1860 he was
before the Democratic county convention for nomination for treasurer,
but was unsuccessful, and again in 1862, with the same result. In 1864
be sought the nomination for recorder, but was again defeated. In the
spring of 1865 he was elected trustee of Perry township, serving the term
of one year. On the 25th day of December, 1866, he married Miss Calista
A. Kesler. In 1869 he was deputy real estate appraiser for his township,
and again filled the same position in 1880. Mr. Donham, in company with
Newport Staggs and Dr. Oliver James, founded the town of Cory, in
1872, where he continued to live until a few years before his death, when
he moved to Terre Haute. In the years 1895 and 1896, he traveled over
a large area of the states collecting evidence and procuring powers of
attorney from the heirs of a supposed large estate, or inheritance, to
which they in common with himself were entitled, consisting mostly of
improved lands in the state of Virginia and within the corporate limits of
the city of Philadelphia. However, as proves often to be the case in such
ventures, the end did not justify the means expended and the time em-
ployed. He died on the 5th day of May, 1907, aged seventy-three years
one month and one day, survived by his wife and five children—two sons
and three daughters. Mrs. Donham died July 20th of the same year.

    Michael Schiele, native of Germany, born November 2, 1831 ; attended
school eight years, and learned the shoemaker’s trade with his father, then
came to America, in 1852, landing in New York City, going thence to
Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, where he stayed two years, thence to
the state of Ohio, where, on the 13th day of July, 1856, he married Mary
M. Miller. In 1861 he came to Clay county, locating in Harrison town-
ship, acquiring, in course of time, by industry, economy and good man-
agement, a fine farm of two hundred acres, a mile north of what is now