The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-08-11
BOOKWALTER AS A GENIUS.
His Youthful Efforts in Ma
chinery.
HOW HE BECAME DIsGUsTED
With ELECTRICITY,
His Study Of Flying MAchInes-T DrOll
Schemes Of an Electric PennSyl-
VRnlR Dutchman.

Schemes Of an Electric PennSyI-
VAnlA DutChman.
Especial Correspondence to Cincinnati Gazette
Rob Roy, FoUNTAIN COUNTY, IND, August L.
When the slow me wing weekly papers first
brought to this remote region the news that "one
Of our boys"
JOHN WESLEY BooKwALTER,
Had been nominated for Governor CT Ohio, there
was first pause Of astonishment, then laugh
and finally an expression Of pride and satisfac
ton. It is worth noting that the pride and salts
faction came last and are most permanent, for
| despite many criticisms, John was we'll liked by
his early Rssociates-as we'll, indeed, as q rather
odd genius could be in remote, rather slow, and
decidedly backWOodsy neighbOrhood. II is a
wonder to me, after an acquaintance OF a quarter
OF century, how he could be popular as be was,
or even tolerated; for he was about as unlike the
average boy among the dutch Hoosers" as
young HindOO would be. His relatives about
here are all Republicans, and generally Metho
dists yet, strange to say, this very neighbOrhOod
has been prolific Of Democratic greatness. Be,
sides Bookwalter, and dozen men only locally
emintnt, Daniel W. Voorhees, was born and
reared only five miles from here, 1t would only
be the proper thing for the Senator to 20 over to
Ohio and help his fellow Shawnee" through the
campaign
"Twig the egotism,' and will add that my
own, my native township was half day's drive
south of this; and among nay earliest recollec.
tions is the hearing Of ridiculous stories, not
often refined, about the Pennsylvania Dutch
and other queer residents on the Shawnee and
the Wea Plalns Our people were nearly oil from
the South, and through this county ran that
mysterious line Of division which can even now
be traced across the State of Indiana, south OF
which are Southern ideas, and north of 1t Yankee
ideas. 1t was not till 1857 that was personally
acquainted with the
"BooKwALTER BOYS"
Between our section and theirs at that time was
a strip Of very unpromising country, familiarly
known as "Hell's Half Acre." into which the
militia made an occasional march during the
war. North Of 1t was the Yankee and Pennsyl-
Vanla country, in which the BookwRlters lived.
1t ia foreign to the subject, but can not forbear
q few paragraphs about our predecessors here
the shamnees (ChaouanOnsD whose history is as
fascinating as any romance In border fiction.
This tribe organized In Western New York by a
secession ana expulsion from an older tribe
Thence they fought their way westward and
down the Wabash, from which they were drive n
by the COnquering Mismss. Determined to find
a permanent home they went to the Tennessee
valley, from which they were again driven, this
Atn1a h1 khn nj.
where they gave name to the suwanee River.
After forty years In Florida they were again
driven, end started Forth In three bands; two Of
these were scattered, but the third reached this
neighborhOod and were given residing place
by the olheI Indians. Shawnee Creek and Prairie
were their southern boundaries, and from here to
ItppecanOe was the original range OF tbs ir noted
chief Tecumtha Commonly called Teeumseh J
When he went to his final reward this region was
open to settlement and soon received heavy
immigration from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
Ohio, among whom were the Van Gundys and
BoOkwalteS, Big and Little Shawnee, near the
Wabash, a mile apart, and on the high level be
tween the two, in the dense pIimeVsl woods,
DAVID BooKwALTER
Made his location about fifty years ago. He was
PennSylVunian by birth, but lived some time In
Ross county, Ohio, where he married Miss Van
Gundy, just before coming here. They had Eve
children, all Of whom are living, John being the
second. Here the father erected a large stone
house, which was long a curiosity to travellers;
also an oil mill, saw mill and other buildings.
The white Shawnee must have he'd rather
rough time Of 1t, By all accounts, as they had to
Wrestle with ague four months In tho year, and
with stubborn nature all the time. The old
BookWater was rather a severe father too, and
Of decidedly PuTitanical cast OF mind. He was
go sUrupulously honest that like the negro's pop.
lar, "he leaned over the other WRy'-entirely too
perpendicular. He had the idea, unfortunately
too common among farmers, that boy can never
do too much, and that all you can get out of one
is clear gain. He was frightfully conscientious
Methodist set his face against all worldly Rmuse.
ments, disprOved Of music, and in his own
words, "diSpised tinkering." And as John loved
music, loved "tinkering" with machinery, was
anything else by nature than Methodist, and
work or not, but probably did not you may
Judge what sort Of time he had.
The three boys, Francis, John and william,
obtained only the common education In the very
common schools Of that day, but John and Frank
very early manifested q remarkable love for
mathematics and machinery. They had to work
in fair weather on the farm, and run the saw
mill when 1t rained, 80 their spare hours must
have been few indeed. Nevertheless they con.
trived TO set In operation more curious machines
than can describe, Of which q thousand funny
stories are still told In the vicinity. 1t is sngu
lar fact that
SELF MADE MEN,
So called, repeat the same errors from generation
10 generation; so 1t will excite no surprise to
learn that John very early conceived the idea OF
perpetual motion, and spent many weary hours
trying TO make 1t CO. and 1t Is needless TO add that
II proved dismal failure. His next attempt was
at what the neighbOrs call musical Wheel"
though l cannot determine what Il was from their
description. The motive power was the current
of Shawnee Creek, and when 1t was SGT going the
wheel, they say, made racket you could hear
mile" Several travellers by night were terribly
frightened by this OontrlVance. But 1t proved q
very Indifferent sort Of music. Speaking Of mu.
sic, well remember my first visit to the big
stone house, as the BOokWRlier residence was
called. 1t was q sultEy Sunday evening; when
was retiring there was raise in the wind and
the queer old house was suddenly allied with
strange uneArthly music, sweet enough, but
strangely monotOnous and mouTnful. My nerves
were calmed when I found that John had been
experimenting on the EOlian harp, and had all
the windows Of our room set with wires and with
horse hair.
Finally, when Frank and John were respec'
lwn1y a.kta - H.
father concluded 1t was idle to contend against
fate, and offered them years education in
science. They chose the scientific department at