402                 HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

not again heard from hereabouts, it was rumored that he might have been
foully dealt with by his brother in a freak of emotional insanity.

            A Permanent Business Established on a Capital of $1.60.
    On the first day of December, 1888, was launched the first issue of
the first daily paper in the history of Clay county. Within the week on the
last day of which appeared the initial number of the Times, Robert Hin-
kel came from Crawfordsville to Brazil to look over the field afforded by
the city for the support and success of a daily, his available capital on
arrival being just $1.60. As the life and success of a newspaper, daily or
weekly, are largely dependent on the advertising patronage, the projector
and promoter of the proposed enterprise sought to make a test of the en-
couragement which would be extended by the business men of the place
for the first issue, and, with a sheet ruled and prepared for the purpose,
started at the court house and proceeded as far west as the Chicago &
Eastern Illinois Railroad, securing orders for $5.00 worth of advertising.
He then went over the same ground again and by more persistent effort
in solicitation increased the amount to $29. Several cases of second-hand
type were then leased of the Register office and a small shed rented on
South Walnut street convenient to press facilities, operated by hand
power. An office force of four men who proceeded to get up the copy
and composition for the advance issue, meanwhile, were boarded at the
hotel. Three hundred copies of a small folio sheet were issued and carrier
boys employed to distribute them, who were awarded prizes for lists of
subscribers procured during the succeeding week. This edition of three
hundred copies has since grown to three thousand and the printing plant,
now operated at 111 South Meridian street, Brazil, is the outcome of an
original investment and working capital of $1.60.

                    Coincidence in Land Entries.
    Among the earliest and best known pioneers of the northeast part of
the county were George G. McKinley and John Graves, who, on coming
to the county, but a few years after its organization, squatted on govern-
ment lands in the immediate locality of what is now. Harmony, and pro-
ceeded to make improvements. On going to the land office at Vincennes
and learning that Graves had not yet made entry of the tract on which he
lived and was making improvements, McKinley included this description
in the entries which he made, but by some mistake or oversight failed to
include his own improvements. Soon thereafter John Stalcup, who settled
about three miles north of the National road, on returning from the land
office, told Graves that the tract on which McKinley had made his im-
provements was still open to entry. Graves lost no time in making ready
and going to Vincennes, including in his entries the McKinley improve-
ments.
    The sequel to these transactions, whatever may have been the motive
back of them, was not long delayed. When the directly interested parties
became mutually aware of the situation and its possible complications
later on, deeds of conveyance were exchanged without any demand for
difference in values from either side.

                        Pioneer Convicts.
    Harrison township’s first representatives in the state penitentiary
were David Owen and — Dennis, both of whom. were convicted and
sentenced at the same term of court in 1842. Owen shot at William Dal-
ton with intent to kill while he was riding along on the public road near