The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-22

/ il; when a a point about forty feet down.
q man man named Jim Silvers was as the
| bottom with q pick. shovel and crow bar.
| John McDougal was at the windlass. Not a
| drop OF water had been struck down 20
| this point. Silyers was pecking away nj
| the tough blue hard pan, when all at once
his pick went clear through and column
! OF water spurted higher than his head. He
yelled for McDougal TO drop the bucket.
| which he did as quickly as possible, and by
the time 1t reached him the water was up
| TO his waist and continued to rise to n
| point about five feet from the surface.
| where it stood for years. Canes still house
| was built directly over this well How
| ever the building was never used as a
| still-house. but turned into a bay barn.
| This barn was torn down By Cal Darne!l
| In 1896 and at the same time he arched the
| well over at Its water line. and tho we'll
| diggers' tools are still at the bottom un-
less they have gone through to China.
YARD RUN BY BOYS.
About 1912 q notable brick-yard was es-
| tablished between South and Huron streets
| and east of School street. on the borders of
| the old DR.. Sanders pond. The firm was
Calvin Fletcher, jr., now residing at SpeD-
Ger. Ind. and SAINT Morris. now living In
Shelbyville. Ind. The partners were about
fourteen years old. Fletcher was an expert
with tools, and made the molds. Ala inches
long 2ls inches wide and Ia inch deep.
jim Huey, then about ten years old. and
who had learned the trade In his father 8
yard, was expert boss. Jim "chawed to-
barker" and stood around with his hands
In his pockets, squlrted tobacco-Juice and
directed how the work should be done.
This establishment went through with all
the trials and fluctuations OF full
grown brick-yard. 1t was the great con-
creating place for all the boys
from down town. especially when the
kiln was burned, which, of course. required
an yDhN f<p ,f.ar g ,,frht Oh
fifteen or twenty boys to zee that it was
well done. In that day it was considered
as absolutely necessary to have roast
chicken to assist In the burning OF brick
kiln. and any cock that lived within hear
ing distance of a brick-yard had to roost
mighty high and keep mighty quiet or he
didn't crow in the morning. The Fletcher
d. Morris yard did not have chicken on tap
for the boys. but prepared for amusement
quantity of buckeyes. with which they en-
livened the hours by popping the same in
the fire around which they sat and snapped
yarns tho lvelOng night. Finally the
kiln was considered properly Settled by
expert Huey, and the arches were closed
and all thorou ghly daubed and left to cool
ready for delivery. but. In the absence of
the bosses. one of the boys decided to give
her q good final blowout, as the closing of
the kiln is called, opened an arch and
poured in half peck of buckeyes aud
closed the slides 1t is needless TO say it
was effectualy "blOwedD ont. and the firm
did not resume business in the spring.
William s. Hubbard was interested in
ck-making first. in 1855 or 1856 on New
Jersey street. inst south of South street,
and afterwards In q number of other yards
In different localities. Oliver johnson
made brick from 1s4S to 1850 on the north
side Of South street, about midway be-
tween East and Noble streets up to 1855 or
later. There were a number of other no.
table characters interested directly or in
directly in the manufacture of brick in
the early days whose names Go not now
recall. The price of brick ranged during
this time from e250 to IS per thousand.
These were the days when graded and grav-
eled streets were unknown. We know
now what muddy streets are, but they
knew then what muddy roads were, for
our streets were nothing but country
roads clear 10 Washington street.
Brick were delivered in tho early
days mostly in ox-carts. John Greer had
large yoke of oxen, weighing about four
thousand pounds, along in the early f0rties,
named Tip and Tyler. Ray McDougal. now
doing business on North Delaw are street. q
go0d.sized boy then. was their driver. He
says the limit was 500 TO 500 brick to a load.
and down to 200 and 200. Wood was 10
cents per cord. cut and corded in the
woods; the expense of hauling with their
own teams was never counted in the cost
of the brick.
makers of Indianapolis, and father of
Joseph Buchanan, still in the same BUSH
ness on South East street, invented the
first dump wagon. about 1S4S which in q
short time came into general use. With this
wagon 1000 brick could be hauled with
moderately good roads, and q goOd-siZed
boy could. otter driving to the build
ing. unload thousand brick and
De gone In three minutes; In
country where the dump wagon was used
for many years. and even to-day there are
comparatively few In use outside OF this
city. Mud-wh eeis for tempering clay in
pits came into use along in the fifties, and
the old gums passed out of existence in this
locality forever. These wheels were first
made by Sam Seibert. one of the best
blacksmiths that ever swung q hammer in
this part of the country.
NEW MEN CAME IN.
From 1850, just before the war to 1896, ct
its close. is a milestone in the history of
Indianapolis. There was general change;
the city began to grow, and a demand Was
created for every kind of building material,
and brick were in the swim. Samuel e.
Adams father of Justus Adams, came to In
dianapolis in 1862 He had been q brick
maker since 1853 at Croton Landing, on the
Hudson. that place where they make brick
makers. MIR. Adams came to this city with
all the latest knowledge in the art. and
with the latest improved appliances. He
established yard near tho Big Four shops
four to ak tables. making about
four million brick O year until
1872. He was the first man in
this locality to burn brick in permanent OF
clamp kiins, and with COAL he had the
usual experience of making quite q failure
of coal burning at fret, but stuck to it UNI
Til success crowned his efforts Justns Z.
Adams was the true son of his father. q
real bat of the old brick" He was started
in clay and has been In il ever since. Justus
struck out for himself in 1863. starting q
yard just east of Woodruff Place. About
this time he took tho contract TO mako the
brick for the Female Reformatory on the
ground where that building stands. In
1872 he took the contract for making tho
brick for the court house. the yard for this
work being on Clifford avenue about half
a mile east of Woodruff Place Justus at
this time. was running three yards, and
between the three principally on account
of mis- contract with the county. they
came near being the death of him
financially, but he stuck TO the mud
coming right up out of the fire, and has
wrestleG with il ever since. lie has for
many years run o yard south Of the city,
turning out about four million bricks per
annum. he is now the head of the Sheridan
brick-works. in the gas region, as we'll as
carrying on his old hand-yard south of
town. making betw cen the two places about
fifteen million year.
Ray McDOuQal established the first yard
on Clifford avenue, In 1852 east OF Woodruff
Place. The clay was exceptionally good
for brick-making all the way from Fall
creek. on the north. clear around 10 the
river sOuth akirfinQ tho citv on ha east