The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-04-09
.THE NOME OF HORTON.
"A Town With Considerable Of a
History.
Centreviile. the whilcm Scat of Wayne
County.

Especial Correspondence of the sentinell
CEsrREvILIE, April 5.-Every person who
for the first time passes over the railroad
West from Richmond is quite likely to mo-
tice at the first station, five miles out,
placed conspiouously upon large
building just opposite the depot
q very large sign-board, on which is painted
in massive letters, "The Home OF Morton"
HE Still Lives" also q very good portrait
of that illustrious character, wreathed in
faded evergreens. That place is Centreville,
once place of considerable importance, on
account of the court house and other head
quarters of the county being there, but
Richmond became so important and power
ful that she took away from Centreville her
glory and precipltated the famous court
R RSass x wsr in OF the Wayne Summer epun' u
1873, when, one dark night seven citizens Of
Centreville rolled out the old piece of can
non, charged it heavily with powder, filled
it to the muZzle with nails, old scrap-iron of
every kind, and a few gravel stones, and
proceeded to make an attack upon the Jail,
then in possession of the Richmond party who
were preparing to remove it to Richmond.
The possessors were asleep when the cannon
noiselessly rolled up close to the front door,
turned toward it and discharged. 1t created
a terrible commotion in this county. 1t
shattered the door and marked the easement
on all sides. 1t woke up the Richmond gar
rison who at once telegraphed to Richmond.
A general call to arms was made there, two
or three special trains chartered, and every
male citizen with all the boys over SIX years
of age invaded Centreville. The cannon was
captured, but the artillerymen could not be
found, and to this day it is uncertain who
Al D,,k H. ,fx-c rod
to Richmond without bloodshed or burning
any more powder, and the old court house
building is now occupied by a meat shop and
cigar stand, while the Jail building is used
by Mr.. Norris Jones, the popular hotel
keeper of Centreville.
Centreville died soon after and many of
her best citizens moved away, some to Rich
mond, some to Indianapolis and elsewhere,
yet it is still quiet, pleasant little place to
live. A very. good school with an enroll
ment of 800, under the care of Professor
Walker and assistants, the former having
been just retained by the board for the third
year. There is but one saloon and few OF
the vicious element. Some of the boys, a
few months since, attempted to wreck a
passenger train but failed, being nov
ices. The usual number of
churches exist, the Christians
congregation being engaged in building a
new one. The merchants and business men
y
goes to Richmond mostly, which is con-
nected, in addition to the railroad, by a
semi daily bus line. The population is
about 200. Centre township is from 25 to
80 Republiea' but owing to the GIesnbacksrs
drawing from the Republicans, and some
local causes, the Democracy are feeling quite
confident of winning the spring cleo ion,
now so near.
But Centreville has known other men
of note, besides Morton. The
here. Jacob and George now reside at
Irvington, and Isaac in Texas. General
Burnside, it is claimed, came here as boy
and learned the tailoring trade. Sol
Meredith, formerly of considerable note as
a county politician, but in later years till
his death the great fine stock raiser OF
Eastern Indiana, tor a long time lived in
Centreville and even Ex-Governor Ray was
once resident But all these, once more Oh
less great, are gone from Centreville, some to
the tomb and some to the retired list oil
politicians and the town is resig ned to its
fate with as good grace as possible.
Many still feel bitter toward Richmond
and the Eastern part of the county for the
court house affair. and, as the feeling Is
shared with the Western part generally, il
often plays prominent part in the political
matters of Wayne. Mr.. J. H. Gentry, the
oracle of the town, expressed the general
feeling when he said, 1T did Richmond nc
good and killed Centreville."
What business is here comes principally
from the farmers. There is q fine
farming community about here, and the
farmers are consequently prosperous. The
First National bank loans them money in
the usual way, ond takes care Of their extra
change. The bank seems to feel better over
this mutua. arrangement than the farmers
The cashier is Mr.. Jones, son of the late
president 1t was established in 1868, and
was No. 81. The cashier reports farmers
paying up better and borrowing less, and
thinks that indicates better times with
them, and that bus neis generally is better
than year ago, considering the unusually
late spring.
Mr. Doughty, a prominent merchant, re.
ported as the result of his experience and
! observation that money was scarcer than
ever, times harder, collections and margins
closer, and business generally duller; silver
| was burdensome to handle and, therefore
did not circulate as readily as would paper
money; prospects for the future not good.
Mr. Lesson, another merchant, reports the
opposite as to business Being considered
pretty well posted man politi
oally, 1 approached him upon the
matter OF Tom Brownies supposed
Bennett, of Richmond, few days ago. Mr.
Lesson dashed off into eulogy of young
| Browne that was somewhat startling in itE
/ vigor. He though there was no one in the
/ district, new or old, that could hold a can
/ dle'' to Browne, and especially not Lou
Sexton, of Richmond. Browne would be
nominated to day, DR. any other day, by the
Republicans with little, If any opposition
and even If he were not so well qualified, il
was not policy to change horses while cross
! ing the stream; Browne knew how to watch
the Confederate brigadiers" and it WASH
| always the nolseiest man in Congress tina
was doing the most good for his constitu
| ents. Quite a number expressed similar
views with less emphasis, and 1t is plain te
| be seen that Centre township either
/ thinks a great deal of Tom Brown,
or not very much of Tom Benin tt, hi
i probable opponent at the next convention
| for the nomination.
Rev. George Ravens, candidate upon tn,
] Greenback and Temperance ticket for Stat,
! senator at the late election, was fount
making soap-so't soap, too. He is quit.
elderly and as bluff as Ben Wade. Wher
last summer aAumber who were especIali,
z L - D..