The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-01-17
A Remarkable Natural Curiosity at
Greensburg, Ind.

urcensburg, lnds
Grcensburg Is a beautiful little CITY OF
1000 inhabitants, located in Southeast
ern Indiana. II is the county seat OF
Decatur County, and both city and coun-
" were settled mostly by persons hailinQ
from Pennsylvania, and the bluegrass
regions Of Kentucky. The name.
Greensburg, was given when the site
was located by Mrs. Thomas Hendricks.
aunt Of Hon. Thos. A. Hendricks. late
candidate for Vice President, i'm men,
DRY OF her native place, Greensburg,
Pa. There we're several competitors
for the honor Of giving the name. but
the matter was decided by vote. As
Mrs. Hendricks had several comely
grown daughters, and as such were
scarce in the new settlement, her wishes
carried the day.
Time passed, and the county, having
passed through its stage of log and
brick Courthouse, must needs have one
to correspond with the intelligent and
wealthy population 10 which II had at
tanned, SO the commissioners went to
work, and in 1862 completed temple of
justice which was at that time the finest
and most costly in the State. 1t occu-
pies the "public square = in the center
of the city. and is surrounded by a grove
OF beautiful forest trees, surrounded
with an iron fence. The principal front
Of the building is east, and from that
point there springs a tower which
reaches height Of 40 feet. One hum
dred and five feet from the ground isthe
watershed of the tower, and above that
It is covered with dressed stone. nade
to fit closely, in slabs, z BY 5 feet, in
GLIDING an angle Of about 80 degrees
from upright.
In the summer of 1870, citizen of
The place was examining the tower with
. glass, when he observed, springing
from the third crevice above the water
sheet on the east side of the tower, 10
[eet from the ground, little twig. But
little was thought of it, and IL was
scarcely discernible with the naked eve.
The next spring some interest was ex-
hibited to know if the miniature tree in
is strange and exposed position had
the wintry blast. II had sur
Vived, and when the warm sun and
spring showers came on, put out its
caves plentifully and grew luxuriantly
All the season. BY this time it was
easily seen with the eye, but as it could
not De approached in any ordinary man
ler nearer than from the roofs Of build
ngs on the opposite side of the street.
Is species could not be ascertained.
The third spring it put forth again with
life, yigor, and size. Instead
II dwindling and dropping from the
Effects OF the winters cold or the sum-
ner's heat and drouth, the atmosphere
# justice from below seemed to cause il
o flourish extraordinarily. This season
I was decided to be silver maple.
sprung, no doubt, from a seed carried
~ a bird or whirlwind, and lodged in
nat exalted place. By this time the
rec had become famous. Accounts of il
had appeared in the papers but the story
vas not generally believed. But, never
heless, the tree lived and grew. twas
here and no mistake. And so it has
ontinued until this day Its now more
han twelve feet high, and is thought 70
e three inches in diameter. The top is
uite bushy, and, in the summer season,
can be seen for many miles around.
nd the stranger approaching, first sees
be tower, and then this strange phe-
omenon beckoning him over. Pas
engers passing on the trains who have
card Of the wonderful tree, ask fire.
ucntly concerning it, and trains have
ven been stopped, by accommodating
onductors, until the skeptical could be
The rapid growth Of the
zee is forcing the stones apart. This
an readily be seen with a glass. Ere
ing the ambitious maple will have to
Q brought lower, or damage to the
uilding follow. The Sheriff has al
sady had several applications from ex-
ert climbers to take it down, but the
eople will not permit their tree to be re-
loved yet. An artist representing
ew York illustrated paper called to
Setch the curiosity, but the leaves were
4, and he postponed it until more
Ivorable time. Persons approaching
le place from Cincinnati get a good
lew Of it by looking from the north
indows as they draw near Green's
nrg. Of course it appears to much
reater advantage when in full leaf, and
such time it is indeed strange Gu
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