The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-07

oner The men were trusted The corps
for defense was formed, Union prisoner and
the common defense. When the marauders
discovered the large force, on guard they re-
tired, and each Union prisoner returned his
arms.
SUCCESSFUL IN BUSINESS.
When the war was over Colonel Lilly, as
did many other young officers of enterprise,
saw visions of wealth in the cultivation of
cotton on plantations which the owners were
too poor to cultivate. Prices were high. be-
cause the supply of that staple had been
greatly reduced during the war. A crop Or
two brought prices down; the decline
brought disaster to many. and among them
was Colonel Lilly. He not only lost his ac-
emulation but his wife died during the
period, and his own health was severely
shaken.
After it was all over he came back to this
city. When he arrived here he had scarcely
dollar and was in broken health. For a
time he worked for scarcely enough to pay
his board. After a time he had offer to
go to Paris. ILL.,, to become partner in the
drug business his experience and skill being
put against the capital of the other party
The store soon acquired the best business
in the town. and it became the purpose of
lne ampltlous manager to make II the drug
store or the county. 1t was his dream 10
make it the center of the drug business of
the whole country. but he early found that
the location was not favorable to the reali-
cation of so ambitious a project.
After time he sold out and returned to
Indianapolis, where he formed a partnership
for time with DIR. Johnson. who is yet a
druggist in this city. That partnership was
dissolved. and then he began in the most
tanned the germ from which the immense
business of the present house sprang. He
occupied small store on the site of the
back part of the Commercial Club building
facing on the alley. Here he began to man
ufacture, out of pure drugs. the medicines
which were prescribed by physicians When
10 m Cfn anx ant oV1d cold
them to the trade. The high quality of his
goods and the skill with which they were
rade up ra mads ysy popular and his
was kept at the shop making goods while
his brother sold them. 1t soon became an
immense business. and larger quarters were
necessary. The outcome is the large labora-
tory of the firm--the most complete medicine
house in the United States. with reputa-
ton which has passed beyond the bounda-
ries of the United States.
One incident in connection with the bus
mess Illustrates his quick comprehension
and alertness in turning an idea to advan-
tage. Some years since he met DR.. Simms,
VINO told him of the rare medicinal qualities
of plant which Dr. McDade. of Alabama
had discovered among the Indians. With an
unerring judgment Colonel Lilly sought out
Dr. McDade in Alabama. investigated the
properties OF the plant and made a contract
for a supply. DR.. McDade was astonished
short time after upon receiving an order
for several thousand pounds of the plant.
The medicine. by being prescribed by physi-
clans, has become standard remedy and
the success of the house is due more to that
one preparation than to anything else. AS
long as he lived Dr. McDade was paid 81 900
month to procure the plant for the firm.
He was pioneer in the inventions which
have revoutionized the methods of admin
istering medicines. No one man has done
so much to perfect and introduce the cap
sue and the conceaing of the disagreeable-
ness of taking medicines by the introduction
of the tablet.
AS soon as Colonel Lilly was fairly on his
feet in his business he began to turn his at
tentlon to matters of public Improvement.
He was a man of rare public spirit, his ptr-
pose being not to win popularity or to in
crease his wealth, but to make the commun-
ity in which he lived prosperous and to put
it in the front rank of the marching army
OF progress. One of the first public enter
prises in which he took prominent part
was the creation of the Consumers Gas
Trust He made the first subscription and
pushed the matter with tireless energy and
the committee to which was assigned the
task of securing gas territory That the
Consumers Company has so much gas ter
ritory at the present time is due largely to
his foresight and executive tact.
A PUBLIC-SPIRITED MAN.
About the date of the introduction of nat
ural gas, foreseeing the growth of Indian
apolis, he conceived the idea of improving
the streets and creating scientific system
of drainage. He laid the plan before the
Board of Trade. of which he was an officer,
but that body hesitated to undertake to car
~ out so extensive a scheme, involving, as
it did, at the outset, the adoption of a new
charter Realizing the need of an organiza-
ton, he led in the organization of the Com
mercial Club, in 1890 It's methods were
largely his conception; and to the perfec-
ton of its organization he devoted his ener-
gies. Its first work was to secure the pres
ent charter, which made it possible to enter
When the work was begun there was not
mile of paved street in the city, while there
was no system of drainage. To the i'm
provement of the streets the club bent its
energies, interesting scores of men who
might, but for the influence of the club.
have opposed paved streets. 1t was his
forethought which saw in the construction
of the Commercial Club building the means
of giving permanent character to the. or
ganization. When it was decided to hold
the National Encampment of the Grand
Army in this city Colonel Lilly was selected
for the general director to make the
rangements. In other cities an expenditure
of 100000 was deemed necessary. but the
panic which came few months before the
holding of the encampment, made 1t neces-
sary to change the entire plan to conform
to much smaller expenditure. 1t was done,
and satisfactory result was obtained for
half the money, and the large deficiency
which has been the evil legacy of several
previous encampments was escaped,
Colonel Lilly was a liberal contributor to
every charitable enterprise since he became
a man of means On all occasions his sub
scription has been one of the largest. His
idea of wealth was to make 1t useful to the
many Several years ago Colonel Lilly and
his wife established the Eleanor Hospital
in remembrance of an only daughter who
died in childhood. One of the most notable
achievements in the line of charity was that
of caring for the destitute during the winter
of 1884 The planning and direction of the
work was delegated to Colonel Lilly H. H.
Hanna and John H. Holiday. For a COM
paratively small amount of money the needy
of Indianapolis were carried through the
winter in comparative comfort, without per-
manenty increasing the number of perma-
nent and professional dependents. The
scheme was commended the best that
was tried in any city during that period 1t
is related that when the list of articles of
food which should be furnished was being
made up. some one objected to coffee. Let
it stand said Colonel Lilly. there can be
no breakfast without coffee" In this as in
all other matters he displayed rare facility
TO originate: and equally rare power to exc
cute. He did not weave theories for, others
to fail in trying to execute, but he thought
out original schemes and then put them into
execution.
The private charities of Colonel Lilly were
large, and he did not let his left hand know
what his right hand did. A member of
Thomas Grand Army Post, in making a gen.
eral report of its relief work said that there
was always one member who never failed to
contribute literally to aid needy soldiers
Come again when you need money for such
cases"
After the war. on all national issues Col
Lilly was a Republican, but when ii came
TO local affairs he was something of an in
dependent He never took an active part in
party management. and repeatedly declined
political honors. Colonel Lilly. while of a
deeply religious nature, was not identified
with any church personally. He could he
counted on always to sustain public morals
Where his influence was potent there could
be no debauchery. The property at Wawa-
see was by his control closed to every de-
r1f Ssr. tN.l Tk,..a.